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Amish are not anti-technology, they are technology-skeptic and will only adopt a technology if they see that the benefit outweighs the cost, and they are very c

Amish are not anti-technology, they are technology-skeptic and will only adopt a technology if they see that the benefit outweighs the cost, and they are very conservative about their decisions. http://amishamerica.com/technology/ http://amishamerica.com/technology/ Just looking at the result, it seems to have worked out well for them. They're a community that has maintained a focus on family and community, and are in a good position to withstand collapse scenarios, since they are much less dependent on the global economic system.

BurningFrog 7y ago
There are also several different "strains" of Amishism, with substantial differences in their technology adoption stances.
- willis936 7y ago
  Driving through the midwest the most surprising thing I saw was a big Amish family birthday party... at a Texas Roadhouse.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 7y ago
  The are even some 1-2 dozen church districts of New Order Amish that use grid electricity.
- jandrese 7y ago
  It's a lot of local councils making judgements individually on an case by case basis. The rules can vary quite a lot depending on the individuals involved. It's also important to remember that most Amish didn't choose that lifestyle, they were born into it. And while it is possible to leave at any time, it is pretty difficult to adjust to a radically different lifestyle with little support on the outside. So instead you see stuff like air powered blenders where people work loopholes so they can lead a more comfortable life while not having to go to extremes. This is the major difference between the Amish and for example Monks. In the latter case they chose that lifestyle and find it fulfilling in itself. They weren't forced into it.
RenRav 7y ago
>only adopt a technology if they see that the benefit outweighs the cost I remember reading this explanation a while ago and it seemed completely logical. I feel like I've been swept away with a lot of things without ever stopping to consider its necessity.
- ericdykstra 7y ago
  A big part of it is the cult of individualism. Do you really think that you, by willpower alone, are going to be able to resist all the temptations of multinational corporations who collectively spend billions researching how to manipulate your lizard brain? The Amish do it through community, accountability, and literally physically separating themselves from the vast majority of this influence.
  - sifar 7y ago
    >> Do you really think that you, by willpower alone, are going to be able to resist all the temptations of multinational corporations who collectively spend billions researching how to manipulate your lizard brain? Well, it is difficult, but not impossible to develop oneself to withstand this onslaught. They create these entrapments, mostly through the use of technology :). However, you are right, that in itself may not be enough if you are still embedded in it. But wouldn't it be great, if we can figure out how to do that. Yes, it needs some resources, in terms of community, wealth . I feel this is the next chapter in our philosophical evolution - to create a philosophy which makes you anti fragile to these things. Those before us did not face this problem at this scale. And The problem is, people mistake a way of life for life itself. And it becomes difficult for them to change that for a better life. I am not talking about the Amish here, but the general populace so dependent on modern technology. A simple suggestion to get rid of their smartphones gives people anxiety attack and make them go all defensive.
    - ericdykstra 7y ago
      I don't doubt that you can do it, personally, but you only have to look at American obesity rates to see that a lack of self-control is a system-level problem, not just an individual making a bad decision. If we "figure out how to do it" on an individual level, there's no doubt that corporations will do whatever they can to subvert whatever it is that is causing you to indulge in less of their products. The Amish have found one way to fix the problem on a system-wide level. It's not the only way, but I don't think we're going to find a way to do it without having a base in reality, family, community, purpose, and changing social norms.
archi42 7y ago
Thanks for the link! My initial reaction was quite similar to GP's. However, I still think that, if they use compressed air from a gasoline-based compressor to drive an appliance, that's as good as using a gasoline generator to drive the same appliance (with the option to use a wind-based generator instead).
- vidarh 7y ago
  Think of it less as having an issue with a gasoline generator and more about wanting it to be sufficiently more effort to use it that it takes more thought to decide to do something. It's a nice life hack in general to create barriers that makes it easier to behave how you want to behave than to take shortcuts.
- maxerickson 7y ago
  The thing to remember is they aren't asking you to adjudicate what they are doing.
  - Symbiote 7y ago
    We can still question and criticise. They don't need to listen or act.
helpPeople 7y ago
I can't help to think that it's entirely so the Amish elites/aristocrats keep themselves in power by limiting access to Media. But interesting take, they would survive in things like Solar storms/electrical grid collapsed.

BurningFrog 7y ago

There are also several different "strains" of Amishism, with substantial differences in their technology adoption stances.

willis936 7y ago
Driving through the midwest the most surprising thing I saw was a big Amish family birthday party... at a Texas Roadhouse.
AnIdiotOnTheNet 7y ago
The are even some 1-2 dozen church districts of New Order Amish that use grid electricity.
jandrese 7y ago
It's a lot of local councils making judgements individually on an case by case basis. The rules can vary quite a lot depending on the individuals involved. It's also important to remember that most Amish didn't choose that lifestyle, they were born into it. And while it is possible to leave at any time, it is pretty difficult to adjust to a radically different lifestyle with little support on the outside. So instead you see stuff like air powered blenders where people work loopholes so they can lead a more comfortable life while not having to go to extremes. This is the major difference between the Amish and for example Monks. In the latter case they chose that lifestyle and find it fulfilling in itself. They weren't forced into it.

RenRav 7y ago

>only adopt a technology if they see that the benefit outweighs the cost I remember reading this explanation a while ago and it seemed completely logical. I feel like I've been swept away with a lot of things without ever stopping to consider its necessity.

ericdykstra 7y ago
A big part of it is the cult of individualism. Do you really think that you, by willpower alone, are going to be able to resist all the temptations of multinational corporations who collectively spend billions researching how to manipulate your lizard brain? The Amish do it through community, accountability, and literally physically separating themselves from the vast majority of this influence.
- sifar 7y ago
  >> Do you really think that you, by willpower alone, are going to be able to resist all the temptations of multinational corporations who collectively spend billions researching how to manipulate your lizard brain? Well, it is difficult, but not impossible to develop oneself to withstand this onslaught. They create these entrapments, mostly through the use of technology :). However, you are right, that in itself may not be enough if you are still embedded in it. But wouldn't it be great, if we can figure out how to do that. Yes, it needs some resources, in terms of community, wealth . I feel this is the next chapter in our philosophical evolution - to create a philosophy which makes you anti fragile to these things. Those before us did not face this problem at this scale. And The problem is, people mistake a way of life for life itself. And it becomes difficult for them to change that for a better life. I am not talking about the Amish here, but the general populace so dependent on modern technology. A simple suggestion to get rid of their smartphones gives people anxiety attack and make them go all defensive.
  - ericdykstra 7y ago
    I don't doubt that you can do it, personally, but you only have to look at American obesity rates to see that a lack of self-control is a system-level problem, not just an individual making a bad decision. If we "figure out how to do it" on an individual level, there's no doubt that corporations will do whatever they can to subvert whatever it is that is causing you to indulge in less of their products. The Amish have found one way to fix the problem on a system-wide level. It's not the only way, but I don't think we're going to find a way to do it without having a base in reality, family, community, purpose, and changing social norms.

archi42 7y ago

Thanks for the link! My initial reaction was quite similar to GP's. However, I still think that, if they use compressed air from a gasoline-based compressor to drive an appliance, that's as good as using a gasoline generator to drive the same appliance (with the option to use a wind-based generator instead).

vidarh 7y ago
Think of it less as having an issue with a gasoline generator and more about wanting it to be sufficiently more effort to use it that it takes more thought to decide to do something. It's a nice life hack in general to create barriers that makes it easier to behave how you want to behave than to take shortcuts.
maxerickson 7y ago
The thing to remember is they aren't asking you to adjudicate what they are doing.
- Symbiote 7y ago
  We can still question and criticise. They don't need to listen or act.

helpPeople 7y ago

I can't help to think that it's entirely so the Amish elites/aristocrats keep themselves in power by limiting access to Media. But interesting take, they would survive in things like Solar storms/electrical grid collapsed.