Scientific Researcher, Compiler, and Communicator, Robert Rose-Coutré writes on philosophy, language, aesthetic theory, society, history, literature, software, fiction, and a book-review blog.
His specialty is in scientific and technical research, communicating complex information clearly and accessibly for the general reader. This specialty is most clearly on display with his recent book Screenformation 2.0. The book comprises major scientific studies, educational research, and expert commentary on the harmful effects of screentime. It includes findings from the biological, psychological, physiological, sociological, and behavioral sciences—with 200+ Works Cited for further investigation.
Rose-Coutré also practices the “Fourth Science” (Logic) as reflected in his book that investigates the epistemological status of abstract objects—Abstract Objects, Ideal Forms, and Works of Art: An Epistemic and Aesthetic Analysis.
Rose-Coutré has been a member of high-IQ societies such as American Mensa, Intertel, World Intelligence Network, Ronald K. Hoeflin Society, One-in-a-Thousand Society, and is listed in the World Genius Directory homepage (see my listing here).
But high-IQ-society membership is meaningless without the practical application of those abilities channeled constructively. Screenformation 2.0 gives us the practical application. The book provides knowledge, guidance, and motivation that readers can apply to everyday life.
Robert Rose-Coutré has a Master of Arts (MA) degree in English Language and Literature/Letters. He studied Latin, philosophy of language, epistemology, logic, analysis, aesthetic theory, German, film theory and criticism, and music theory.
Life Experience versus Screentime
Robert Rose-Coutré has been studying people and taking notes since earliest memory. Starting at a young age, he spent his life studying people, society, history, and other cultures. Since early childhood he sought out older people to learn as much as possible about older generations. Some of his earliest boyhood memories included talking with World War I veterans or anyone born in the 1800s to learn what life was like in the old days. Those experiences brought home how precious people are, that the old-school ways of fully-human living should not be dismissed and lost so easily. His motivation has been to learn about human feeling, thinking, and behavior; understanding relationships, appreciating people, and leading a meaningful life that benefits others.
Robert Rose-Coutré is grateful to have had a TV growing up, having watched enough to gain first-hand understanding of its effects, but limited enough not to do too much damage. He is grateful to his parents for those strict limits. Because of that limitation, he had time for activities that leave him with precious memories of old-style living.
With those extra 20,000-to-30,000 hours of childhood and teenage screenfree development, he grew up doing real-life activities: read every volume of his family’s encyclopædias along with a lot of fiction and nonfiction books on culture, science, and history; played long hours of football, baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, and golf; sold newspapers at a shopping center at age 10 and had many more jobs growing up; did yardwork and household chores most every day, always on Saturday; learned household maintenance like replacing fixtures, roofing, dry walling, painting houses interior and exterior, welding, metalworking, woodworking; rode a bicycle everywhere many miles a day including to and from school and jobs (parents didn’t give rides); became a competitive speed skater at the local roller-skating rink at age 10; got in fights with kids in the neighborhood—learned the difference between healthy fighting versus vicious violence; started a daily exercise regimen at age 13 (and kept it up ever since); learned how to play the organ and piano from his grandmother (who had performed in early Vaudeville and in Chicago nightclubs); took guitar lessons; sang in the church choir; won or placed in small local tournaments in chess, billiards, and ping-pong, and played those games regularly; learned sailing, motorboating, rowing, canoeing, and water-skiing; learned martial arts, juggling, knife-throwing, target shooting, archery, and horseback riding; learned endurance swimming and lifesaving and became a lifeguard at age 16; camped on weekends once a month and learned skills in camping, wilderness survival, and many other outdoors skills; worked through the ranks of scouting and earned Eagle Scout; participated in community service projects through scouting and church; listened to his parents’ and grandparents’ stories of their childhoods; and enjoyed almost all recreation time with friends, doing things in the real world with real people, growing and learning how to be a human, an old-school human, fully human.
Today too many of us miss out on the exciting possibilities of life, trading it in for a lifetime of passive screentime. We replaced curiosity, passion, and action; with boredom, stagnation, and shallow entertainment. But we can still choose the active, thoughtful path of curiosity, passion, and accomplishment. Reject the screen and join the living.