• BilboBargains@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    This is often why autistic people don’t climb the ranks in technical organisations, even if we are much better at our jobs. Some places create technical specialist roles that are equivalent status but there is a premium on leadership qualities rather than technical excellence.

    The Egyptians built the pyramids by moving huge blocks of stone on skids. This was achieved by organising vast amounts of manpower. What they needed was some autistic people to point out that only a handful of people are required if you use some wheels.

          • BilboBargains@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            I don’t disagree. Management and leadership is indispensable for organisation of large groups of people who are attempting to achieve a singular objective. There are important distinctions between the different styles of thinking and operating. The ‘social animal’ is characterised by charisma and ability to persuade, the ‘creative’ is characterised by the ability to think logically and imagine. The reason everyone knows the name Jobs and doesn’t know Wozniak is because Jobs is the charismatic influencer and takes credit for the work of Wozniak. In the case of Apple, it seems they have managed the balance between the styles of thinking to their great advantage but that isn’t the case in most places. Political and business people still hold much more power due to their ability to persuade and deceive. This is changing due to the influence of technology, the bailiwick of the creative type. There ought to be balance in our decision making or we end up falling under the spell of some charismatic psychopath.

    • Punkie@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I remember reading somewhere that the real innovation wasn’t the wheel so much as it was the wheel and axle, first seen in 3500 BCE around Sumeria but it wasn’t designed for heavy loads like large stones until around the Roman era. It was mainly two-wheel chariots and agricultural stuff for the longest time.

      • BilboBargains@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Technology usually evolves like this. Someone makes the initial leap and then the art is refined iteratively or when some other breakthrough becomes an enabler. I was recently reminded of the power of the wheel when moving a 400kg machine tool. It took six men to lift it but I could move it on my own using a broom handle.