If you want to understand a society, don’t listen to what it says about itself — look at what it creates. You can learn everything about the Victorians — the good and the bad — just by looking at their lamp posts.

And what do the ordinary details of the modern world say about us? That we are technologically advanced, very efficient... and care more... See more

“How you do anything is how you do everything.” That is probably true, and it also applies to whole societies, not just individuals; a single doorbell implies everything else about the whole socio-economic and political system that gave rise to its creation.

And, beyond being merely “useful”, the ability to notice details makes the world a richer... See more