Technology is a wonderful tool, but also if used incorrectly a

Reggie Watts, a creator who blends humor, music, and reflection, spoke with piercing clarity when he declared: “Technology is a wonderful tool, but also if used incorrectly a horrible tool. We’re fascinated by all aspects of it, whatever makes our human lives easier on the planet, but eventually there will have to be some sort of merger. The fascination isn’t going to die down.” His words shimmer with both awe and warning, for they reveal the double nature of technology, that great fire of the modern age: a gift that can heal and illuminate, but also a blade that can wound if wielded without wisdom.

The first truth he names is its duality. Technology is a wonderful tool—it can ease burdens, extend lifespans, connect distant hearts, and unlock knowledge beyond imagination. Yet he also calls it a horrible tool when misused—capable of surveillance, exploitation, destruction, and the alienation of the very souls it was meant to serve. Here Watts echoes an ancient truth: that every power granted to humankind carries within it both creation and ruin, depending on the hands that guide it. The sword that defends the innocent can also slaughter the weak. The fire that warms the hearth can also consume the village.

His words about fascination capture the heart of our age. Humanity cannot look away from the glow of its own inventions. We marvel at the smartphone in the palm, the artificial mind that speaks, the rockets that pierce the heavens. Like moths drawn to flame, our spirits are enchanted by whatever promises to make life “easier on the planet.” This fascination is no passing trend; as Watts reminds us, it will not die down. Once the door of invention is opened, it cannot be closed. Humanity has never stepped backward from fire, wheel, press, or computer—it has only sought more.

Consider the tale of Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb. The scientists of his era were fascinated by the power locked within the atom, and in their pursuit, they uncovered energy capable of lighting cities or leveling them. The fascination could not be undone, even after the horror of Hiroshima. The knowledge was here to stay, and mankind had to face the terrible question: would this be a wonderful tool or a horrible one? So it is with every great leap in technology—the fascination endures, but it demands wisdom, restraint, and foresight.

Watts also speaks of the need for a merger. What is this but the recognition that humanity and its technology must eventually become one, not in the sense of domination, but in harmony. Our tools must be integrated into the rhythm of our lives, not left to grow wild like weeds that choke the garden. This could mean a merger of human values with technological design, a blending of ethical principles with invention, or even, in the most literal sense, a merging of flesh with machine as we step into the future of bioengineering and artificial intelligence. One way or another, he reminds us: this union is inevitable.

The lesson we must take from his words is one of vigilance and balance. Do not fear technology, for it is indeed wonderful when guided by wisdom. But do not worship it blindly, for it is horrible when left to its own unchecked appetite. Instead, cultivate discernment. Ask with every new tool: does this serve life, or diminish it? Does this bind people together, or isolate them further? Does this preserve the earth, or exhaust it more quickly? For in asking, we reclaim mastery over the tools we have created.

Therefore, O seekers of truth, let Reggie Watts’ words guide you. Embrace the fascination, but let fascination be tempered by wisdom. Walk toward the merger not as slaves to machines, but as guardians of humanity’s soul, ensuring that what is built by our hands does not devour our hearts. For the fascination will not die down—but neither should the vigilance, the responsibility, and the care with which we wield the fire we have stolen from the gods. In this balance lies not only survival, but the possibility of a future both wondrous and just.