The Impatience Problem
We are living in the 21st century. Everything has gained pace(except my brain); the internet has become faster, cars have increased their top speeds(Fast and the Furious series has reached double digits), and there are new records for the 100m dash at every Olympics. Due to social media, news and even rumors spread faster than before. Even superheroes who used to fly previously can travel through time now. Almost everything takes less time than before unless you try to talk sense into someone.
Time is becoming more and more scarce. We want things and processes to get faster. For instance, take working out; instead of spending an hour exercising, We want to do 15-minute power workouts. When we wake up, we want instant coffee; when we go out to dinner, we want food delivered fast; however, we may spend an hour talking at the table even after dinner. When we drive, we want to move quickly.
I only hear the words 'Let's go slow' when I try to date someone out of my league. (Which is minor league BTW.)
But is it a trend in the right direction? I highly doubt it because it makes us impatient and leads to the desire for instant gratification, which quickly changes into need. We are losing human virtues like perseverance and self-belief. When we start an endeavor, we want results fast. If they don't come according to our impatient success schedule, we get frustrated, give up, and leave, eventually leading ourselves to mediocrity.
Ask any champion or leader(assuming they are willing to talk to you) how instantly they got their success and how many times they failed, and you will know how it works.
The need for instant gratification also leads to the right of entitlement in some people. We begin to think that we are entitled to success just because we have tried, but it doesn't always work that way. It's like expecting someone to like you romantically just because you like her/him. (Pro advice: Stop liking people altogether ).
Entitlement can be very destructive and can dent interpersonal relationships with close ones as the person never appreciates other people's efforts for them. They think they are entitled to others' love and effort, eventually alienating themselves.
Life is strange; it feels slow at the very passing moment, yet days and years pass, and it feels like yesterday when we look back through the years trying to make sense of it is futile. It's best to let life move at its own speed, just like a river, and feel the beauty of it, maybe take a dip if it’s not moving too fast.
