The SLOW Movement…

… I didn’t even know it existed until this past week when I attended a wonderfully interesting, informative and inspiring conference in Camden, Maine called Pop!Tech.  The conference theme was The Human Impact.  On day one, as part of a sub-theme titled The Pursuit of Happiness, I had the pleasure of hearing about the SLOW movement from Carl Honore´.  The subject made immediate sense to me.  I stopped at the bookstore that very day and got his book In Praise of Slowness (A comprehensive look at the worldwide SLOW movements making their way into the mainstream – in offices, factories, neighborhoods, kitchens, hospitals, concert halls, bedrooms, gyms, and schools), and read it from cover-to-cover (I probably should have read it more slowly than I did).  Carl suggests that with the start of the Industrial Age, the world has shifted into high gear.  He calls it the ‘cult of speed’.  And it’s true.  Racing through traffic, twelve hour days, meeting-after-meeting, and Blackberry email into the night.  When you sit back and consider your life, it’s exhausting,… and depressing.  The author is not saying that every aspect of one’s life should be run at half speed. He merely is saying that for the health of our bodies and minds, we need balance.  Be fast when fast is what is needed, and slow when slowness is called for.

On the surface, technology seems to (although it could be just a giant hoax) allow me to get more done in a day.  I can check more web sites, I can run more financial models, I can communicate with more people, I can review the status of more projects, and much more.  Why would I ever choose to turn the speed of computing down or off, the work would just pile up…!  I think Carl would agree, you can’t do that,… but he would also ask, “do you need to be processing all the time…?”  His voice is ringing in my ear - leave the technology behind, take a walk, ride a bike, just sit on a bench and watch the clouds drift by.  It sounds idyllic, but how in the world would I ever find the time to do all that…?  But then I thought back to those times where I did throttle back the pace, and the truth was I didn’t fall behind.  In fact, it was a time that contributed to a positive outcome.  It was a better response, a more creative solution, a more thought-out strategy.  Thinking takes time.

Another speaker referenced a renowned Computer Science professor at Stanford, who years ago completely stopped using a computer for email.  Asked why, this professor said, “email exists to stay on top of things,… I am much more interested in getting to the bottom of things.”  I like that.  Trying to always be ‘on’ can turn you into a less intelligent person, as you never take the time to ponder and reflect.  Carl Honore´ encouraged everyone in the audience to find their hidden tortoise.  Change how you rate your time investment; doing things as ‘well’ as possible, not as ‘fast’ as possible.  It’s a sad state when the sounds of irritating ring tones or you’ve-got-mail vibrations are a substitute for an evening of jazz or opera, finding that last edge piece in that 1000-piece puzzle, resting long enough to manage seconds at the dinner table, or reading the last line of Goodnight Moon to a son or daughter drifting off to dreamland.  Life is a journey not a dash (to cross a finish line we never seem to reach).  Give those special moments your full attention and claim the joy within.  Are you speeding…?

Comments

[Mark Greiner]

Nathan,…
thanks for the lead on the article,… it was well done. I agree with the author that IMing, Facebook and MySpace are great for ‘post-it note’ chatter,… which more and more electronic conversations are becoming. He goes on to write, “email provides the breathing room to contemplate what we’re writing and express nuanced thoughts.” I would agree with this. Maybe it’s the difference between using technology for ‘talking’ vs. ‘writing’,… but regardless, one still needs to find times to turn them both off, and just be in the moment.
Thanks,

Mark

[nathan]

“email exists to stay on top of things,… I am much more interested in getting to the bottom of things.”

Funny quote, but doesn't actually explain any real reason for not using email. However I can't say I disagree with his choice. I use email but I can see the temptation to distance myself from it.

Here is an interesting article about the demise of email.
http://www.slate.com/id/2177969/