Humility Is The New Smart Book Summary - Humility Is The New Smart Book explained in key points
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Humility Is The New Smart summary

Edward D. Hess and Katherine Ludwig

Rethinking Human Excellence In the Smart Machine Age

4.5 (131 ratings)
13 mins

Brief summary

Humility Is The New Smart by Edward D. Hess and Katherine Ludwig is a book that explores how we can stay relevant in a world of artificial intelligence. It argues that the key is to develop new habits of learning, unlearning, and relearning with humility as our guide.

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    Humility Is The New Smart
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    The technological advancements of the new millennium will force humans to work and behave differently.

    The second millennium may be young, but we’re quickly approaching one of its defining eras: the Smart Machine Age, or SMA. This term describes a time when machines will become increasingly capable of performing complex tasks and nonroutine work – jobs that once required human labor.

    As the SMA dawns, technologies like robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and genetic engineering will quickly come to dominate the professional and personal lives of humans. As they continue to become more sophisticated, machines will take on more manual and cognitive tasks, both in and outside the workplace.

    What does this mean for humans?

    Well, if you’re a lawyer, a journalist, a teacher or an accountant, you can’t be too certain that your job is secure. It could be taken over by a robot in the future. In fact, a 2013 study done by researchers at Oxford University found an extreme likelihood that as many as 47 percent of US jobs will be replaced by technology within the next two decades.

    So human success in the SMA depends on a whole new approach; we must be NewSmart.

    After all, we can’t compete with machines in terms of processing and retaining huge amounts of information. Our options are either to complement the work of machines or do the work they can’t, which includes critical thinking, emotional engagement and creative practices.

    However, in a society that’s hyperfocused on competition, aggression and individual success, we’re often too self-involved and fixed in our beliefs to be adept at such skills. This impedes progress. We will only excel when we learn to collaborate, an ability that enables greater critical thinking, emotional engagement and creativity.

    But our general unwillingness to work together doesn’t mean humanity is doomed. Indeed, there’s a way to acquire the skills that will help you transcend your current limitations. In the next blinks, you’ll learn all about it.

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    What is Humility Is The New Smart about?

    Humility Is the New Smart (2017) is your ticket to success in the new smart age of machines. These blinks are a practical guide for thriving in a world that’s increasingly run by machines, both on and off the job.

    Best quote from Humility Is The New Smart

    ...slowing down makes it easier to know when to switch from autopilot to intentional thinking mode….

    —Edward D. Hess and Katherine Ludwig
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    Who should read Humility Is The New Smart?

    • Workers and professionals worried about losing their jobs to machines
    • Parents who want to understand the world their children will grow up in
    • Curious minds interested in positive psychology

    About the Author

    Edward D. Hess is a professor of business administration and an expert in organizational learning, leadership and innovation cultures. He’s currently an executive-in-residence with the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

    Katherine Ludwig was formerly a corporate lawyer in finance and securities. She now works as a research associate at the Darden School of Business.

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