The Water We Swim In: When Technology Becomes Environment
Fri Jan 09 2026
Episode Summary: In this episode, we move beyond the common debate of whether technology is "good" or "bad" to explore a more fundamental reality: technology is no longer just a tool we pick up; it is the environment we inhabit.
Drawing on the prophetic work of French sociologist Jacques Ellul, Bob explores how we have migrated from a natural wilderness defined by seasons and storms to a "silicon wilderness" defined by algorithms and efficiency. We look at the anxiety of the disconnected screen, the illusion of being a "user," and why the human soul-which thrives on inefficiency and imperfection-truggles to breathe in a system designed for zero error.
If we build the house, and the house eventually builds us, what kind of humans are we becoming inside this machine? And where do we find the "glitch" that proves we are still alive?
Notable Quotes:
"You can put down a hammer. You cannot put down the weather."
"We do not navigate by the stars anymore. We navigate by the blue light of the screen."
"The machine forces us to develop a mechanism of perfection. The soul thrives on the glitch."
Mentioned in this Episode:
Jacques Ellul (1912–1994): French philosopher, sociologist, and lay theologian.
The Human Voice on Substack
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Episode Summary: In this episode, we move beyond the common debate of whether technology is "good" or "bad" to explore a more fundamental reality: technology is no longer just a tool we pick up; it is the environment we inhabit. Drawing on the prophetic work of French sociologist Jacques Ellul, Bob explores how we have migrated from a natural wilderness defined by seasons and storms to a "silicon wilderness" defined by algorithms and efficiency. We look at the anxiety of the disconnected screen, the illusion of being a "user," and why the human soul-which thrives on inefficiency and imperfection-truggles to breathe in a system designed for zero error. If we build the house, and the house eventually builds us, what kind of humans are we becoming inside this machine? And where do we find the "glitch" that proves we are still alive? Notable Quotes: "You can put down a hammer. You cannot put down the weather." "We do not navigate by the stars anymore. We navigate by the blue light of the screen." "The machine forces us to develop a mechanism of perfection. The soul thrives on the glitch." Mentioned in this Episode: Jacques Ellul (1912–1994): French philosopher, sociologist, and lay theologian. The Human Voice on Substack