What do we value? In this ongoing interview series I am exploring what people value, what makes their lives fulfilling, and what kinds of relationships to technology they already cherish. Discover what I am asking. We live in an age dominated by speed, scale, and standardization. While these values allow many technologies to thrive, they present hidden costs to the human experience. 

Human flourishing is not about streamlining our lives to maximize efficiency and convenience. We need complexity and friction in life to experience things like growth, richness, and meaning. Yet, as we optimize for efficiency on the surface, we inadvertently erode these deeper, more complex elements of fulfillment. 

In this moment of acceleration, I believe it is important to slow down and reflect on what we really want from technologies. Beyond comfort, convenience, and instant gratification, what deeper purposes should technology serve in our lives? What values should guide innovation, if not efficiency, speed, and scale? To address these questions, I am exploring what people value, what makes their lives fulfilling, and what kinds of relationships to technology they already cherish.

I am gathering perspectives, stories, and examples from individuals like yourself who inspire us. Your insights and reflections will guide my work as a studio. By sharing them, I hope to empower marketers, technologists, and artists with tools and inspiration to create alternative possibilities that enrich the human experience.  

The general questions we are pursuing:

1. What is a ritual, practice, or routine in your life that is important for your psychological wellbeing and/or fulfillment? Why? 

2. What is a human-made creation that brings out the best in you? Why?

3. When do you cherish the slow or hard way of doing something? Why? 

4. What is something you appreciate or long for from the past? Why? 

The first interviews will launch later this year. If you are or know someone we should interview, don't hesitate to reach out.

Hi, I am Mahmoud and I run EmBox, a two persons studio made of positive marketers. We are interested in our relationship with technologies: how we shape them, and how they shape us.