The Age of Speed

Speed! More Speed!

In a world of constant acceleration and shifting priorities, speed is more important than ever. Speed transforms every aspect of life – not just business and technology. Society wants speed. People have little tolerance for waiting or for anything being slower than absolutely necessary. You know the symptoms: instant insurance quotes on the Internet. Self-checkout at the supermarket. Text messaging on your cell phone. Automatic bill paying on your home computer. Shaving seconds off any transaction generates an intense perceived advantage. Time is clearly worth more now. The tension between “finite lives and infinite imaginations” drives society, though for some people, more choices create more anxiety. But since nothing short of a social breakdown will slow the pace, you have two choices: Stress out from the speed or adapt in ways that strengthen your quality of life.

Embracing speed isn’t easy when you’ve been taught to “stop and smell the roses” and that “haste makes waste.” Consider Aesop’s fable, The Tortoise and the Hare. The slow, steady tortoise won the race – but only because the arrogant hare took a nap after sprinting to a sizeable...