It seems every year, people like to see who TIME Magazine has chosen for their “Man of the Year.” I think now, they may have changed the wording to “Person of the Year,” as often they choose a woman, or a group, of people.
And then, sometimes, it is not a person at all.
For on this date, December 26, 1982, TIME’s Man of the Year was a computer.
But first. I had to see for myself what the top spots were.
56 Man of the Year
17 Person of the Year
14 Men of the Year
8 Persons of the Year
3 Woman of the Year
2 Man and Wife of the Year
Their wording, not mine. Also, I did not list anything under 2 times in this data. The full breakdown can be found at https://public.opendatasoft.com/explore/dataset/times-person-of-the-year/table/?sort=year
It gives the entire list, plus a breakdown of the different categories, countries, contexts, and more. It is a little bit fun to look at. In the year I was born, Lyndon B. Johnson won Man of the Year. And, of course, the year I graduated from high school, it was this. The computer.
The honor was given to the computer to denote the “dawn of the information age.”
Well. For as controversial as these covers sometimes can be, the people of TIME Magazine sure got it right in 1982. Our world has changed significantly since the dawn of the information age.
Yes. The information age. This incredible historical period began in the mid-20th century. It has been quite rapid in comparison to other periods in history. Rapid, I say.
The Information Age took off with the major development of the transistor in 1947, which is the basic building block of modern electronics. The semiconductor. The little engine that could.
No need to hash out all the details. I’m just recognizing, once again, how our entire planet has transformed due to information technology. Sometimes, for the good. And sometimes, for the bad.
As I look at it in broad terms, IT has allowed us to advance in ways never before imagined in all areas of life. From medicine to energy to transportation. Human relations. Supply and demand. Science. Arts. Education. Socialization. And onward.
However, on the downside of things, I think, somehow, it has given many people the license to behave badly. Never before have we seen a culture create such widespread lies and conspiracies, with multitudes of people following blindly along.
Nothing is perfect. No one is perfect. Flaws are inevitable. In me. In you. In the ceramic coffee cup on your kitchen table. But even though these imperfections are inevitable, as we see with the coffee cup, it is still very capable of holding coffee just fine every morning, without fail. It works incredibly well.
Unless, of course, that flaw turns into a crack, and the cup begins to leak. Yet, even with that, it can be repaired and go back to doing its wonderful work.
The same can be said for us. Even with our shortcomings, we still manage to be stupendously amazing, divine, glorious human beings, capable of endless possibilities. We have within us so many marvels despite our flaws.
And so we go. Being our own good people of the year. Every minute of every day.
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“One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn’t exist…..Without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist”
― Stephen Hawking
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“Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we’re all in this together.”
― Brené Brown
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“It is good people who make good places.”
― Anna Sewell, Black Beauty
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We are so good. People of the Year.
