Samenvatting

Technology has always been a very distinctive feature of human existence. Technology is to humans what
nature is to other organisms: our host. Man is nature, but through technology – humans came to stand against
nature and its biodiversity; technology is now a global enterprise, advancing on a scale and pace that has never
been seen before. The paper argues that this poses a threat not only to the planet and biodiversity but above
all to humans themselves. A psychological perspective is chosen, that of the thinking and feeling person, which
is contrasted with emerging (smart) technologies. It is concluded that man is not a rational “machine”, but a
small-scale storyteller, a provider of meaning, especially emotionally involved with each other. Systems and
standardization stand in the way. But as globalized humanity faces the dangers of diminishing (bio- and cultural)
diversity, we need the unifying power of technology to restore balance.