Journalist Carl Honore believes the Western world's emphasis on speed erodes health, productivity and quality of life. But there's a backlash brewing, as everyday people start putting the brakes on their all-too-modern lives. Via TED.com
One good thing about riding slower is you can carry on a conversation with your neighbor cyclists instead of staring at their rear wheel praying you’re not the one to collapse the peloton into a yard sale of twisted bloody bicycle parts.
Another good thing about riding slower is the sights, sounds and smells you’ll pass. After a long day on a tour across North Carolina last year, a group of us were standing around talking about what we had seen. One person chimed up, “well I didn’t see any of that! All I saw was the back of so-and so’s tire all day!” How sad. Personally, I would hate to pass by a cedar grove or a field of lilac so fast I didn’t notice the refreshing scent or race by an old couple sitting on their front porch without waving hello.
Riding too fast, you’re likely to miss the experience of exploring a little corner of the world or meeting a new friend.
Last night, I rode home from the grocery store, loaded with groceries and a chai in my hand. Risky, some might say, but it forced me to slow down. I saw so much more that way. And it didn't cost me much time, either.
Slow is indeed better and more efficient, and we're all about efficiency. We recently launched a new site and it is dedicated to utility cycling, so we thought you might be interested - www.utilitycycling.org. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to guest post or become involved in some way. Thanks!
7 comments:
One good thing about riding slower is you can carry on a conversation with your neighbor cyclists instead of staring at their rear wheel praying you’re not the one to collapse the peloton into a yard sale of twisted bloody bicycle parts.
Another good thing about riding slower is the sights, sounds and smells you’ll pass. After a long day on a tour across North Carolina last year, a group of us were standing around talking about what we had seen. One person chimed up, “well I didn’t see any of that! All I saw was the back of so-and so’s tire all day!” How sad. Personally, I would hate to pass by a cedar grove or a field of lilac so fast I didn’t notice the refreshing scent or race by an old couple sitting on their front porch without waving hello.
Riding too fast, you’re likely to miss the experience of exploring a little corner of the world or meeting a new friend.
Jack
Last night, I rode home from the grocery store, loaded with groceries and a chai in my hand. Risky, some might say, but it forced me to slow down. I saw so much more that way. And it didn't cost me much time, either.
Journalist Carl Honore believes the Western world's emphasis on speed erodes health, productivity and quality of life.
Erodes productivity? Productiviy is the measure of how much is accomplished over a given time. By definition, "slow" decreases productivity.
if you rush and stress you are less productive. doing something fast doesn't mean you're doing it well.
You say that, but the businesses that do things quickest and best are the ones that survive.
Fine line between quickest and quality. Also between lazy and slow.
Our company has a TQM (Total Quality Management) program. One of the hallmarks is "Doing it Right the first time every time"...callbacks cost money.
Unfortunately too many people look at speed and price, with quality being a distance third if it is even considered at all.
I can give you many, many examples where doing something quickly or in a hurry ended up with very tangible costs in quality and money.
Aaron
Slow is indeed better and more efficient, and we're all about efficiency. We recently launched a new site and it is dedicated to utility cycling, so we thought you might be interested - www.utilitycycling.org. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to guest post or become involved in some way. Thanks!
Post a Comment