Warriors Aren’t Robots
"The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that man may become robots." ~ Erich Fromm
On a certain level, robots can replace humans and automation is a fear in almost every industry. Robots can replace the work of warriors, but they can never be warriors. The greatest asset a warrior has is their humanity or their ability to think, reason and care. Robots are incapable of all of those things because they are not conscious or sentient. In 2015, the Yasakawa corporation created the Yasakawa Bushido Project which pitted a robot, the Motoman-MH24 versus the famous Iaido swordsman, Isao Machii. Scientists studied Machii and created a computer program to mimic his sword cuts. The contest was to see who could cut 1000 wara or “rolled tatami mats” the quickest. When they faced off, it seemed that Motoman was able to match Machii cut for cut and it appeared that the contest ended in a draw. It was hailed as a huge success that a robot could be as good as an experienced swordsman. Upon closer look, I wouldn’t say that the robot was as good as Machii. For one, the robot could only cut targets in front of it while Machii cut targets in front and back of him. Secondly, Machii also had to help set up and calibrate Motoman. Finally, at 4:20 of the video they showed an overview of both cutting spaces. Look at how uniform Machii’s cutting area was and look at the sloppiness of Motoman’s cutting area. Motoman could copy Machii’s movements but it couldn’t perfect it. Fromm’s quote is perhaps a warning to humans to not become robot-like and lose the autonomy to think, reason and care. Warriors aren’t just killing machines. They care not only why, but also how they do things. Robots don’t get to care or choose. Being a warrior means consciously choosing to live one’s life mindfully at a higher level. In other words, for lack of a better phrase, warriors give a f*ck.
Today’s goal: Don’t be a robot. Give a sh!t and think, reason and care.