The Broken Savatte Leponze Analogy

Times have changed. Technology has improved our lives. But I think it has come at a great compromise. Our creativity!

I remember having to purchase £5 calling cards in the UK to speak to my family in Mauritius and being anxious knowing my credit may run out when I least expect it. Now I can talk freely on Skype or Whatsapp until I run out of things to say whilst having a call quality which is superior. I like the fact I can carry just my Samsung Galaxy S5 with me which allows me to take great pictures, guide me to places I need to go through the help of Google Maps and still being able to make calls and send messages. I even save money by watching YouTube videos of guitar tutorials and other hobbies I enjoy which I would otherwise have to pay a teacher for.

So what am I complaining about?

Lack of challenge makes us complacent

It has become too easy for us nowadays and that’s where the problem is. When we are faced with a difficulty, our minds will find ways and solutions to overcome this but without any challenge, we become stagnant. We do not evolve. There is no reason to because we don’t need to. If everything is going well, we will carry on the same course. Undisturbed. Unaware. Lethargic.

Don’t throw away, repair.

Things have become reasonably cheap these days. The mentality is if something is broken, then get a new one. The question about repairing only arises if economically it makes sense and that’s perfectly logical. Why would you want to spend half or more money on an old thing when you can replace it with something new and better? That same attitude is why a lot of relationships don’t work in this decade as the focus is not on mending but on finding ties which have no issues. However that’s another discussion.

Years ago, when savatte leponze (flip flops) would break, people would find creative ways to repair them. Usually the stopper (round button at the bottom) would come off the zoris (the thing that goes between your toes). A common technique to fix that would be to heat up a piece of wire so that it can be easily inserted in the zoris and bending the wire a little to prevent it from scratching the floor or hurting you.

While many may argue it only costs Rs100 to get a new pair, what I’m trying to explain here is affordability has made us less creative. We don’t need to think. We don’t need to find solutions. We can just get a replacement.

Only seldom are kids from rich families smart and creative

When children are born from wealthy parents, they become lazy, lazy in the sense they don’t need to go out in the real world to start something of their own. Since small, they are given all the things they want; growing up they get to run an already successful business. What’s the challenge? None. That is why most successful businessmen come from poor backgrounds. They have to think out of the box, come up with something different, take the risks. There is a challenge here; you have to be creative. Just like the poor kid who cannot afford a new savatte leponze, if he doesn’t repair it, he will have to walk barefoot. So he uses whatever resource is available to him and although it would be labelled as a Frankenstein savatte leponze, he wears it proudly because while others may be laughing at him, he knows it’s better than walking barefoot.

Two questions if you may...

1. Would you agree technology is inhibiting our creativity? If no, why?
2. Have you ever been creative in your life? If yes, how?