Maybe I'm just slow this morning, but I had trouble figuring out what this story was about. The actual title on the linked article is "Historic co-determination helps monasteries navigate digital change across three countries". It's a press release for a recent paper by Danko and Ross of the University of Zurich "Dinosaurs of the organizational landscape facing technological disruption: Liability of aging and exaptation in monastic orders". It's about how old monasteries are coping with modern technology. The paper seems to be available in full here:
Abstract
Some organizations remain adaptable across centuries while others struggle to evolve and ultimately fade into irrelevance. Only a handful of theories can explain this extraordinary adaptability. We test two competing theoretical perspectives in imprinting research: Liability of aging suggests that older organizations are at greater risk of disruption by modern technologies, but older organizations can also repurpose their imprinted structures and processes to their advantage in a process termed exaptation. To resolve this contradiction, we analyze Catholic religious orders and their monasteries. They represent the oldest extant organizations, were founded in various historical eras, and are facing contemporary challenges posed by digitalization. Our quantitative and qualitative findings indicate that the orders with historically decentralized imprints show higher adaptability in embracing digital innovation. Our results confirm that long-term adaptability is increased in organizations whose imprinted decentralized logics provide a propensity for exaptation. However, these long-standing organizations are also more wary of the negative effects of digital disruption and appear to shield their organizational core more strongly. We contribute to imprinting research by shedding light on the intricate relationship between historically imprinted organizational logics and contemporary organizational practice and highlight the often-underappreciated importance of exaptation for long-term adaptability.
I can barely figure out what this article is about because the language is like molasses.
It stands to reason that disciplined, dopamine starved monks find modern engagement economy computers and software somewhat engaging, as they are probably like recreational drugs to enquiring bored minds
bxk76 4 hours ago [-]
Whats is always interesting about monestic life and its emergence (minus light sabers) is that society across cultures has created spaces for people who dont fit. This need has been recognized and supported for thousands of years.
thih9 3 hours ago [-]
Monasteries follow strict rules. Good for those who fit these rules but monasteries are far from a place for people who don’t fit.
I may have missed something though - I don’t see how is that related to the linked article.
nephihaha 2 minutes ago [-]
Fit into wider society. If someone has sensory issues, then a monastery would be a more peaceful place. Some people like set routine as well.
MrBuddyCasino 4 hours ago [-]
And there hasn’t really been a replacement for that in modern times. This is a problem.
riffraff 17 minutes ago [-]
FWIW, "lay monasteries" and hermitages exist, and there are some religious ones which are not strict about who wants to join, the Bose monastic community[0] comes to mind talking of christianity, but there's plenty for other religions.
There are still places like Slab City, California (the desert town with no laws). That kind of place is not for me though. I like neighbors who mind their own business, but I still need some amount of law and order.
There are still plenty of religious cults out there if that is your thing, probably more than have ever been. Otherwise the "misfits" are nowdays also organizing themself to indeed fit somewhere and don't just accept to be outcasts.
Sorry, but the whole concept of "place for people who don't fit" - is really not appropriate for monasteries in general. Because they have been very strict about who can fit. Only those who are fine with this special lifestyle and fixed rituals (and fixed hierachy and dogma). And most monks had to adopt to accept, whether they liked it or not, as the alternative was starving.
ChiMan 4 hours ago [-]
The monks likely have the time to think about implementation, and feeling like they’re part of an institution that transcends them and that they value for its own sake, they likely have an incentive to invest effort into maintaining and improving it.
Both of these are unlike, say, corporate environments, where the core work uses up almost all available time and where most people are looking mostly to extract something from the organization.
fc417fc802 2 hours ago [-]
Your comment (and some others) have me imagining an alternate reality where the vatican runs the equivalent of github and all major FOSS infrastructure is maintained by religious orders. (There's probably a controversy where the catholic and islamic GPL equivalent licenses are incompatible for inane reasons.)
ajb 2 hours ago [-]
You joke, but, leaving religion out of it, it's plausible that if the want long lived infrastructure that's maintained with integrity, it may be that tithing of some description is part of the solution. Currently the closest we have is patron, but most of those are still part of hustle culture rather than the supporters feeling a long term obligation.
ChrisMarshallNY 25 minutes ago [-]
I know that there’s a pretty overwhelming antithesis about religion, hereabouts (there’s a lot of valid reasons, but, in my experience, it tends to originate from personal animus), but some things that you get from organized religion, are a sense of community, a very long view, and fairly strict rules about personal integrity and behavior.
There’s a lot less of the cutthroat competition, than you’ll see in industry and academia, and many folks plant trees that they will never use for shade.
Personally, I’m not religious, but have many close friends that are, and I see this mindset in action.
I also worked for an old-fashioned Japanese company, which had many of the same features.
Even though many people see these as conservative (or weak) traits, they actually work well, for development of new things.
Big things take time, and teams.
Time is supplied by people taking the long view, and making long-term plans, and teams benefit from people not stabbing each other in the back, sublimating personal goals, in favor of those of the collective, and trusting each other, and their management.
skuzye 2 hours ago [-]
The long term obligation for them is created by the very thing you wanted to leave out.
mrweasel 2 hours ago [-]
That also sound a lot like the Amish. Take the time to think about implementation, advantages, disadvantages and the societal impact of a technology, before committing to it.
fhdkweig 29 minutes ago [-]
They have a reputation as medieval peasants, but they are not afraid of technology. They are just extremely picky. They build furniture in factories and sell them on a website. If you want durable, it is well worth the extra price.
Religion is one of the best at marketing and fund-raising since millenias. Why is it surprising that they adapt to new tech? They have done it for printing press before that.
Avicebron 2 hours ago [-]
Researchers discover that monks (who are actually human beings) can deliberate, adapt and problem solve. Together. Like adults. Crazy world we live in that this has been proven possible.
steve1977 4 hours ago [-]
Religion was behind the spread of printed books, at least here in Europe, so this seems in line.
andrepd 4 hours ago [-]
It was also behind unspeakable acts of massive cultural destruction, so there's that.
johnp314 2 hours ago [-]
Oh if religion wasn't responsible for "massive cultural destruction" then mankind would have invented something else to do it (whatever is meant by "massive cultural destruction").
forgetfreeman 50 minutes ago [-]
"We want their stuff" is a pretty effective travesty generator for sure.
andrepd 2 hours ago [-]
I disagree. When you are absolutely sure that God itself is on your side, then there is no atrocity to big to commit. I feel that religious zeal has led to some of the worst catastrophes in human history. I would put para-religious zeal in that category too, like dogmatic forms of communism.
Avicebron 2 hours ago [-]
You can substitute "Truth", "Most Rational Action", or "Reality" in for God in your sentence and still get the same meaning.
People can and will justify almost everything.
forgetfreeman 4 hours ago [-]
So was the search for condiments.
defrost 4 hours ago [-]
The Spice must flow.
raverbashing 3 hours ago [-]
"The beauty of their women and the taste of their food made the British the best sailors in the world."
2 hours ago [-]
otabdeveloper4 3 hours ago [-]
Source? Proofs?
Do communism and secular humanism count as "religions" here?
The Crusaides and literally all of British colonialism.
Do you not know anything about history?
NeutralCrane 1 hours ago [-]
The Crusades and colonialism can’t be distilled down to single causes, but even if you tried, religious reasons would not be the main ones. Political and financial motivations were far bigger factors in both.
otabdeveloper4 1 hours ago [-]
The East India Company was motivated by religion?
You'll have a hard time justifying that unless you're some sort of hardcore Jewish cryptosupremacy conspiracy theorist.
wartywhoa23 5 hours ago [-]
Well, AI is the New Messiah, and very VC backed at this point, so no surprise.
teddyh 1 hours ago [-]
“Si Dieu n’existait pas, il faudrait l’inventer.” (If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.)
— Voltaire
recurseP 2 days ago [-]
In my country most monasteries are becoming luxury hotels so yes, they are adapting remarkably well to these times.
Keirmot 4 hours ago [-]
That is not a new phenomenon, per se. The hospitality industry was shaped by monasteries, based on the Rule of St. Benedict.
Rendered at 14:13:20 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) with Vercel.
Abstract
Some organizations remain adaptable across centuries while others struggle to evolve and ultimately fade into irrelevance. Only a handful of theories can explain this extraordinary adaptability. We test two competing theoretical perspectives in imprinting research: Liability of aging suggests that older organizations are at greater risk of disruption by modern technologies, but older organizations can also repurpose their imprinted structures and processes to their advantage in a process termed exaptation. To resolve this contradiction, we analyze Catholic religious orders and their monasteries. They represent the oldest extant organizations, were founded in various historical eras, and are facing contemporary challenges posed by digitalization. Our quantitative and qualitative findings indicate that the orders with historically decentralized imprints show higher adaptability in embracing digital innovation. Our results confirm that long-term adaptability is increased in organizations whose imprinted decentralized logics provide a propensity for exaptation. However, these long-standing organizations are also more wary of the negative effects of digital disruption and appear to shield their organizational core more strongly. We contribute to imprinting research by shedding light on the intricate relationship between historically imprinted organizational logics and contemporary organizational practice and highlight the often-underappreciated importance of exaptation for long-term adaptability.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004873332...
It stands to reason that disciplined, dopamine starved monks find modern engagement economy computers and software somewhat engaging, as they are probably like recreational drugs to enquiring bored minds
I may have missed something though - I don’t see how is that related to the linked article.
[0] https://www.monasterodibose.it/en/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slab_City,_California
Sorry, but the whole concept of "place for people who don't fit" - is really not appropriate for monasteries in general. Because they have been very strict about who can fit. Only those who are fine with this special lifestyle and fixed rituals (and fixed hierachy and dogma). And most monks had to adopt to accept, whether they liked it or not, as the alternative was starving.
Both of these are unlike, say, corporate environments, where the core work uses up almost all available time and where most people are looking mostly to extract something from the organization.
There’s a lot less of the cutthroat competition, than you’ll see in industry and academia, and many folks plant trees that they will never use for shade.
Personally, I’m not religious, but have many close friends that are, and I see this mindset in action.
I also worked for an old-fashioned Japanese company, which had many of the same features.
Even though many people see these as conservative (or weak) traits, they actually work well, for development of new things.
Big things take time, and teams.
Time is supplied by people taking the long view, and making long-term plans, and teams benefit from people not stabbing each other in the back, sublimating personal goals, in favor of those of the collective, and trusting each other, and their management.
https://www.amishfurniturefactory.com/
People can and will justify almost everything.
Do communism and secular humanism count as "religions" here?
Do you not know anything about history?
You'll have a hard time justifying that unless you're some sort of hardcore Jewish cryptosupremacy conspiracy theorist.
— Voltaire