• by Rashieta , December 14, 2010

This semester I took a sociology course and we discussed the slow movement. When I first heard about the slow movement, I had no idea of what my professor was talking about. We read a book titled The Praise of Slowness. It talked about the cult of speed and how society is just simply busier than they have been in the past. As a society we are taught that things should be done faster and faster is always better. The book suggests that not everything should be done quickly and we need a balance. We should do things fast when we have to, when it is appropriate. But when we have time to take our time, we should do so.

I am going to try to adjust my life and attempt the slow movement challenge! Next semester I will be graduating college, so that may not be the best time to slow down. However, once I graduate, I am going to attempt to have balance in my lifestyle.

I plan to begin with technology: I am going to cut down on the television watching, because although you are not moving fast while watching television, you are going at the speed of your program. There is no time for reflection or thought because everything is done for you. On the other hand, if you read a story, you can go at your own pace and can pause anytime you want.

I am going to try to talk more on the phone to people I am close to. Sending text messages is great! But the quality of relationships is lost sometimes, because if you are texting, more than likely you are multi-tasking and your mind is not fully engaged in that conversation. You can still multi-task on the phone talking, but not as much as if you are texting.

Employees in the U.S generally works more hours than any other country but ironically they are not the most productive! Just because people are always busy working, doesn't mean they are being productive in their work. It will be interesting to see how fulfilling it will be to move at a slower pace, instead of the pace of technology.

One doesn't have to make dramatic changes in order to slow down. Instead of speed walking to class, if you are not going to be late, take your time to enjoy the walk!