Humans are Underrated summary

Have you ever thought about how much your cell phone or tablet affects you?

It turns out that the use of phones, computers and other “screens” decreases our social skills.

The old saying goes: Knowledge is power. These days though, knowledge is increasingly stored in computers, with little need to keep it your head.

So where does this leave us humans?

Have you ever had a bad experience with a call-center person? It’s partly because they typically have to follow rigid scripts instead of having genuine empathy for your problem.

We find this irritating because empathy is a basic element for every relationship – even in business.

Have you ever worked in a team where things just didn’t click?

While everyone in a team can bring great skills to the table, their different personalities may be a bad fit.

We’ve all left the cinema after experiencing a movie with a great plot that has moved us to tears.

But did you know that if you can tell a good story like that, you’ll find it’s more convincing for people than a purely logical argument – and can change millions of lives?

Have you ever made a meal from a recipe devised by a computer? You haven’t? Well, if you get the chance, you should try it!

Computers can indeed be creative, and cooking is a great example.

As you’ve seen in these blinks, humans are still superior to computers in many areas. But it gets even better: computers can also help us to excel.

Take education, for instance: it turns out that learning at a computer is more effective than learning in a crowded classroom.