Friday, July 22, 2011

SPEED VS. DEPTH

"The shallow murmur, but the deep are dumb." Sir Walter Raleigh

I've been thinking lately about how we're getting faster and faster as a society. We do more, we write more, we talk more, we multi-task. If we don't multi-task we're considered slouches.

I sometimes wonder if this is just more sound and fury than substance. Is this noise and busy-ness, dizziness, really necessary?

I've noticed that people are doing things faster. But I don't think that necessarily means they're doing things better.

Take writing. Is there a real pay off to writing faster? If we skim the surface of a lot of things we can produce more, but is it better?

Sometimes you need to slow down to plumb the depths. You need stillness to allow the deeper parts of yourself, the deeper and more profound aspects of life to surface.

Perhaps I need to slow down. Do less. Think more. Be silent more. Write less, but write deeply.

Yes, write deeply.

2 comments:

  1. This post was so nice to read slowly and savour the thoughts...
    Cheers, Lesley Anne

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  2. Thanks, LA. The need to slow down is something I need to be reminded of far too often. A sign of speed-disease...

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