David Pennington

You might think of this chart as the shape of attention. After clicking to start, thousands rapidly exited, some immediately, some after a minute or two. But if you could make it past three minutes, you were more likely to finish than to give up. And once you hit five minutes, your odds of completing the exercise were very high. A quarter who... See more

We can explore the ways in which our attention is generated, manipulated, valued and degraded. Sometimes attention might simply be a lens through which to read the events of the moment. But it can also force us toward a better understanding of how our minds work or how we value our time and the time of others. Perhaps, just by acknowledging its... See more

1. Always be smartly dressed, well groomed relaxed and friendly polite and in complete control.


2. Make the world to believe in you and to pay heavily for this privilege.


3. Never worry assess discuss or criticize but remain quiet respectful and calm.


4. The lord chisels still, so don’t leave your bench for long.

THE LAWS OF SCULPTORS, Gilbert and George

A user journey that changes who you are

Most of today’s young people have never had that experience and, as a result, have no idea why it is important to seek out places for quiet study and contemplation.

But this raises an obvious question—if we lose libraries as the last public space for quiet reading and reflection, what can replace it?

This is what a frictionless world looks like. Everything accelerates, until you forget what it means to try.