Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

"Our concern for privacy has its evolutionary roots in the need to maintain boundaries between the self and others, for safety and security," argues this article. I don't think that's true. Maybe we have some innate need for space, but privacy, properly so-called, is a very modern concept, and our attitudes vary a lot depending on where we were raised and what we learning. For example, I was raised in a small town where everybody knew my business. I learned at an early age that the best way to deal with secrets is to not have secrets. I still can't get used to the idea that we should close the curtains or lock the door. People who were raised in an environment where you can have secrets, or are engaged in activities where you should have secrets, have a very different outlook. We need to be careful about attributing attitudes and values to evolution. That's not how evolution works.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Mar 29, 2024 06:22 a.m.

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