In his book, In Praise of Slowness, Carl Honoré details his poignant observations about the pace of our modern lives and its relationship to our health both as individuals and as a community. As he explains in his TED lecture below, “We get more pleasure and more health from our food, when we cultivate, cook, and consume it at a reasonable place.” He points not only to the organic food and farmers market movements as solutions, but also to our mindset towards time itself, which permeates not just what and how we eat but everything that we do:
Honoré challenges the predominant cultural narrative of our time that denies any benefit or even possibility of slowing down, pointing to Nordic countries which work less hours, yet have thriving economies and have demonstrated that working less hours can actually increase productivity. He points to cases in which homework bans have resulted in higher test scores. Perhaps most importantly, he elucidates how our relationships, our mental and physical health, and our enjoyment of life suffer when we do not practice this art of slowing down.
Echoing the mission of the International Slow Movement, Honore encourages us to “get in touch with [our] inner tortoise” for better work, better health, better relationships, and more happiness.
