So listen, this pattern goes back way further than you think

And I mean WAY further. Like, we're talking 10,000 years of humans freaking out about the exact same thing, over and over again. The technology changes, but the script? It's literally copy-paste.

Want to see something wild?

I'm going to show you arguments against new technology from across human history. But here's the thing—I'm not going to tell you which century they're from. See if you can spot the pattern...

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The Agricultural Revolution

10,000 BCE

"If we abandon hunting and gathering for this 'farming,' we'll lose our connection to nature and become weak and dependent!"

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The Invention of Writing

3200 BCE

"Writing will destroy human memory! If we can write things down, people will stop remembering and become mentally lazy!"

Wait, this sounds familiar...

The same fears about dependence and mental laziness. The same worry about losing essential human capabilities. And this was 5,000 years ago.

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The Printing Press

1440s

"Books will make people stupid! They'll read dangerous ideas without proper guidance from authorities!"

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The Telephone

1876

"Talking to people without seeing them face-to-face will destroy human intimacy and social skills!"

Getting the picture?

Different centuries, same script. "This will make people stupid." "This will destroy human connection." "This will make us dependent and weak."

Now I know that sounds crazy, but let me show you something even wilder

These quotes are real. From real people. Who really believed their world was ending.

"The art of printing will so spread knowledge that the common people, knowing their own rights and liberties, will not be governed, and so all governments will fall into confusion."

1641 - English Parliament member

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"AI will so spread capability that ordinary people, knowing they can access expert-level analysis, will not trust traditional institutions, and so all expertise will fall into chaos."

2024 - Twitter thread

But here's what's really fascinating about all this

It's not just that the arguments repeat. It's that they follow the exact same psychological pattern every single time.

Stage 1: The Threat Response

First, we identify the new thing as a threat to something we value. Usually something that feels fundamental to being human—memory, social connection, physical capability, expertise.

Stage 2: The Dependency Fear

Then we imagine worst-case scenarios where this tool makes us weak, lazy, or dependent. We picture humans becoming lesser versions of themselves.

Stage 3: The Authority Panic

Next, we worry about power structures collapsing. If everyone can access this capability, what happens to the people who were valuable because they had exclusive access?

Stage 4: The Integration Reality

Finally, we adapt. The tool becomes invisible infrastructure. Kids grow up with it as normal. New problems emerge that require the next tool to solve.

And right now, with AI? We're in Stage 1 and 2. Which means most people are focused on the wrong questions entirely.

So what's the real lesson here?

The pattern isn't about technology at all. It's about human psychology. We have predictable responses to change that have nothing to do with whether the change is actually good or bad.

The people who adapt fastest? They're not necessarily smarter or more tech-savvy. They're just better at recognizing when they're having a Stage 1 response and choosing to move to Stage 4 anyway.

Right now, you get to choose which stage you want to live in. Most people will spend the next five years in Stage 1 and 2. But you don't have to.