[swirepe]

> My understanding is that groups like the Amish don't reject technology outright, but adopt it selectively based on its effects on their society

I can see how this would work for new things invented outside the Amish community. How does this work for new Amish inventions? How do they judge an effect a thing will have on society while they are still building that thing?

Edited to add a concrete example: here [1] is a pneumatic ceiling fan. Before the first one was built, what strategy did they use to determine it's okay?

[1] https://amishamerica.com/amish-ceiling-fan/

[ardy42]

> I can see how this would work for new things invented outside the Amish community. How does this work for new Amish inventions? How do they judge an effect a thing will have on society while they are still building that thing?

I'm no expert, but I believe they have walked back decisions to allow certain technologies, or allow things for trial periods before making a final decision.

Also, it's not like the non-Amish haven't rejected technologies because they came to dislike their effects on society, stuff like lead paint, asbestos, and chemical weapons come to mind as examples.

Also, their decisions aren't arbitrary, but respect certain principles and customs, so I would assume an Amish inventor would take those into account.

[swirepe]

You make a great point; I hadn't thought about lead paint or asbestos. Rollbacks are hard, but they are possible.