I think this provides a handy counterpoint to my guided relaxation meditation for tech power users. And it makes me think our devices — from computers to GPSes to smartphones — may have been trying to pass on some pretty deep life lessons for a long time.

Is “abort/retry/fail?” a simple prompt…or the pithiest possible summary of the fundamental human question?

Is it an accident that AmigaDOS used to crash with a “Guru Meditation”… or a call to mindfulness?

When Siri says “I didn’t understand that,” is it a parsing failure… or a reminder to speak what’s truly in our hearts, with the clarity and simplicity that come only with complete honesty?

Here’s that meditation, btw.