going slow

The paradigm of acceleration fails to grasp the deeper human tension between action and contemplation. It’s a false binary, one that Benedict XVI (then Joseph Ratzinger) identified clearly in Introduction to Christianity. He described modernity’s obsession with Machen—do/make—as the belief that only what we can build, manipulate, or produce is real... See more

Light mode is fast and iterative, producing work that’s quick to make but just as quick to fade. It’s the mode of rapid experiments, side quests, and prolific posting. Heavy mode is slower, deliberate, and intentional (often hermit mode). It’s the mode of deep work that builds over time and carries lasting weight.

The modern makers’ machine does not want you to create heavy things. It runs on the internet—powered by social media, fueled by mass appeal, and addicted to speed. It thrives on spikes, scrolls, and screenshots. It resists weight and avoids friction. It does not care for patience, deliberation, or anything but production .

It doesn’t care what you ... See more

He offers a thought experiment: what if the brief to design a new train connection was given to Disney instead of railway engineers? The latter immediately focuses on speed, time, distance and capacity. With Disney, the goal wouldn’t be to shave minutes off the journey. They may ask a different question: “How do we make the train journey so enjoyab... See more

We adore quick wins these days: the kid on Youtube who goes viral and becomes an overnight sensation, the tech startup that goes from zero to unicorn in a year, the miracle makeover. At this point, the story of the tortoise and the hare is passé, and who really reads this to their kids anymore—I never have. We might as well rewrite the thing: the t... See more