The Speed of Light … Almost
One reads a lot these days about things speeding up. As if we are traveling at “warp drive”. And what is that? From Wikipedia
Warp drive is a hypothetical faster-than-light (FTL) propulsion system in the setting of many science fiction works, most notably Star Trek. A spacecraft equipped with a warp drive may travel at apparent speeds greater than that of light by many orders of magnitude, while circumventing the relativistic problem of time dilation.
We have gotten used to the idea that this is good. That going faster is better.
But … what if in the 21st century, we begin to realize that we are running faster … simply to stay in the same place? Like the Red Queen in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass. Alice, naive girl that she is, has the courage to question this
“Well, in our country,” said Alice, still panting a little, “you’d generally get to somewhere else — if you run very fast for a long time, as we’ve been doing.”
“A slow sort of country!” said the Queen. “Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!” [1]
Here is the classic image by John Tenniel (who was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1893)
What if we change strategy and start to slow down? What if people begin to see the value of doing less but better?
What if, indeed! There is no question. If you want to learn more, you need to do less. So slow down, my friend. Smell the roses and see what is around you.
“But … but ….” I hear, “won’t others take advantage? Won’t they get far ahead?” The answer is no. They will not get ahead if you have a clear strategic idea of where you are going.That kind of vision is rare and more rare when people run around like poulets sans têtes. So think strategically … and relax.