Why slowing down is one of the most valuable ways to help humanity right now
Hustle culture dies amidst burnout and chronic stress, while dreams and lasting transformation emerge out of quietude and reflection.
The concept of intentionally slowing down is certainly not a new idea. If you’re looking for new ideas you have come to the wrong place — but I’d guess that this probably means you need to read this article more than anyone else. This is a manifesto for slowness, a reminder that the incessant pursuit of progress and of all that is new and shiny will only ever provide you with the mirage of happiness. Lasting change for humanity’s problems will almost never be found in a quick fix. True contentment lies in the space between things, thoughts and busyness.
Many people will have adverse, even somewhat volcanic emotional reactions to the headline of this article (I can’t slow down! My work is important! Slowing down will not help humanity. My work will). That’s exactly why we need this reminder.
We have all heard the old fable of the tortoise and the hare. We’re smart enough to know that slow and steady wins the race. What we don’t remember is that there is no race at all, if we decide to step off the track. We even forget that we have the freedom to choose which tracks to set foot on at all.
The push for a slow living movement has rumbled louder in recent decades but ideas of living in a state of reflection and intentional inaction have been around for much longer. We might draw a timeline back to the early meditation traditions in early Buddhism or to the ancient Chinese concept of “wu wei”, a concept meaning “inexertion”, from the period of 770 to 476 BCE, or to innumerable other ritualistic and religious traditions that involve the concept of slowing the mind. We might even extend the timeline further back to show that meditation is as old as humanity itself, due to the potential meditative capacities of the Neanderthal.
Despite this extended timeline, society has found itself developing new terms and movements to bring this concept back, from slow living to mindfulness, from the “tang ping” (lie-flat) movement in China and the quiet quitting of the anti-hustle culture movement in the US.
At first glance, the collective progress the human race has achieved since we stepped out from Neanderthal cave-life and into bustling city life doesn’t seem to be a result of inexertion or sitting around cross-legged for hours trying to fend off thoughts. Surely, new trends towards lying-flat and quitting quietly will damage the pace of our impressive societal progress… Right?
On the other hand, there could be a different story here. The advantages of meditation are well-documented and some of the most influential ideas have appeared in moments of mundanity and stillness, from Isaac Newton understanding the laws of gravity in a quiet moment under an apple tree to Albert Einstein reflecting on the theory of relativity while on his boat. It’s now common knowledge that we have some of our best thoughts in the shower.
The slow living movement grew out of a response to the fast food movement in Italy in the 1980s (more on that later), but it became so much more than that. Here’s why.
The True Value of Taking It Slow
Time to think, time not to think
Time to think is potentially one of the most undervalued assets of the modern day. Between answering emails and arranging our meeting schedules, our connected world doesn’t allow much space for uninterrupted thinking. Yet, the idea you have when you finally afford yourself the privilege of “thinking time” could result in the largest pay cheque you ever have.
This is equally true of time you consciously take not to think.
“When we are calm, unhurried, and free from stress and distractions the brain slips into a richer, more nuanced mode of thought. Some call this Slow Thinking, and the best minds have always understood its power.” — Carl Honoré
Many self-help books in recent years are focused on productivity and promote concepts like filling “dead time”. This concept encourages individuals to maximise the time “between things”, such as when you are commuting or waiting, by filling it with learning and ticking items off to-do lists. “Stop staring into space,” the helpful books say. Are you recalling memories of school teachers telling you to stop daydreaming and staring out of the window at this point?
What your teachers and the hyper-productivity advocates didn’t recognise is that giving yourself the time to let your mind wander is beneficial in many ways, from improving working memory to allowing us to enter an “alpha wave” state to reduce stress. Similarly, meditating is said to improve cognition, potentially improve signs of ageing, and reduce the symptoms of some mental health disorders. With more time to let our thoughts wander, to think and not to think, humanity is much better placed to solve its greatest challenges.
Micro-progress on what really matters
In our busy world, there are always problems and each of them vary in importance to us. We may want to end world hunger or simply ensure our family gets nutritious meals this week. Whatever the case, slowing down often seems counterintuitive when there is simply so much to do.
When someone we love is sick, we remind them, gently, to “take it one day at a time”. What would happen if we granted ourselves the permission and grace to do this every day of our lives?
With more breathing space, we might refocus on what matters to us. We might research the possibilities of a more fulfilling path. We could feel better. We may build atomic habits, tiny habits that build up to remarkable results and sustainable, lasting change. We might realise that a current project or habit can be abandoned in favour of something more pressing for humanity, our loved ones, or ourselves. By not getting lost in busyness, or entrenching ourselves in self-pitying guilt about what we are still yet to achieve, we could finally prioritise what matters and take real steps to get there. We will begin making minute micro-steps towards even the most daunting of goals. Step by step, day by day.
“Being in a hurry does not slow down time.” — Mokokoma Mokhonoana
Slow consumerism, and better pasta
One day in 1989, after discovering the opening of the fast-food chain McDonalds in Piazza di Spagna in Rome, Italy, Carlo Petrini made a decision that would influence millions of people. He established the slow food movement to preserve and celebrate Italian culinary traditions. The movement placed value on taste and nourishment to contend with the food of the “fast life”, and aimed to preserve the connections between producers and consumers. It spread beyond Italian cuisine to over 160 countries.
As the years passed, the idea to push against the fast approach has overflowed into other industries. Most notably, it paved the way to the slow fashion movement, advocating for greater respect of the people that create our garments and the environment from which we get our materials.
What ties these movements together is a request to our society to make slower, more considered decisions. There’s lots that needs to be done to save our planet and humankind. A powerful way to contribute to progress is actually to simply move through life more slowly. I find that comforting.
“Being Slow means that you control the rhythms of your own life… What we are fighting for is the right to determine our own tempos.” — Carlo Petrini
This is not a plea to quit your job and stop everything you’re doing. I’m not quitting — not even quietly. This is not the answer. Your work probably is important, or will be, one day. We are not all working to “save humanity” (myself included), and that’s okay. What I believe is more important today is a shared recognition that our fundamental need for recuperation, reflection and stillness is there to help us rather than hinder us; that happiness is not found at the other side of gaining a qualification, career, or yet another purchase; and that humanity will not advance by continuing to make progress for progress’ sake, without proper time to consider ideas, form new ones, look after our wellbeing, and prioritise what’s most effective and impactful. When we forget this, we find ourselves washed away in an ocean of short-term fixes to global problems, chasing lifeboats with no proper plan to reach safe harbour. We also find ourselves dissatisfied, burnt-out, and probably not being as kind to one another as we need to be.
This is why one of the most loving and valuable acts we can do every day is to fill our days with more moments of pause. In these moments, we find answers and peace. If not for humanity, do it for yourself. The ability to slow down is a privilege. A privilege we all deserve. It’s free for the taking, even if it’s just one minute. I wish you a slow, peaceful day, and tastier, slow-cooked pasta ahead.
