Hyde

"The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is a modern story about technology. What we create can take over our lives if we let it. Addiction is the most common example. Besides illegal substances, we are now addicted to sugar, smart phones, TV and the list goes on. So parents sometimes do not allow children some things for fear of addiction. The story has influenced characters like "The Hulk", "The nutty professor" movies and even Tweety Bird.

What drives us to do something over and over again so that we loose control of self preservation? The answer is where we choose to live.

Choose to reside in the technicalities of life, instead of real relationships with ourselves and others, therein lies the cause for addictions and destructive pathways. Technology is just one of newest persuasive ways to get addicted.

To become a Mr. Hyde (the killer that Dr. Jekyll was not) the story goes into a lot of detail about the formula to undo the damage. It actually leaves us hanging if Mr. Hyde won or not. There are so many things to be learned from the allegorical nature of the story.

Drinking the formula is what I will focus on. Internalizing an unknown untried technology has its dangers. That's why there are simulations, tests and prototyping. We can learn from mistakes before they forever change our lives. To completely undo certain errors can be very painful and maybe impossible.

Even if Mr. Hyde takes over so that the Dr. Jekyll no longer exists, is it not possible for the killer to be rescued and reformed personally? Whether he is punished or not, the person of Mr. Hyde could change if he wanted to even if Dr. Jekyll no longer exists.

If technology consists of concepts and things humans made, the same applies to all Art, Science and social-economic institutions (such as government, marriage, religion...): internalizing them as if they were life itself will make the possibility of Mr. Hyde taking over.

Look at any autocratic leader, he/she is protecting some status quo or his/her own opinion above being human. Someone as infamously evil as Adolf Hitler is protecting the Third Reich above all things, even his own humanity. Even if we will not make systematic killing machines like Hitler, we can kill our real self just to protect our "name", save "face", our "status", our "role", when we ignore the voice who cries from inside us when we are all alone.

Leaders who aim to be in touch with their own voice as well as the people they lead will be fulfilling the opportunity that their moment in History affords them. This is the only way to deal with ever present human dilemma that face both people and their leaders. If we want true forgiveness, improvement and progress.

Despite the cheesy lyrics and sexy ladies, the "Power of love" by the late Luther Vandross is to be discovered and expressed.