Skip to main content

In praise of slowness - Carl Honore

27,060 Views

4,397 Questions Answered

TED Talk

Let’s Begin…

Journalist Carl Honoré believes the Western world's emphasis on speed erodes health, productivity and quality of life. But there's a backlash brewing, as everyday people start putting the brakes on their all-too-modern lives. Honoré is best known for his advocacy of the Slow Movement. His book "In Praise of Slowness" dissects our speed-obsessed society and celebrates those who have gotten in touch with their "inner tortoise."

Honoré observes, “We used to dial; now we speed dial. We used to read; now we speed read. We used to walk; now we speed walk. And of course, we used to date and now we speed date.” Can you think of other examples of how we’ve accelerated the pace of our daily activities? How much of this is our own doing, in your opinion, and how much is driven by changes in our environment (e.g. the evolution of technology)?

Sign in to answer question

About TED Talk Lessons

TED Talk Lessons are created by TED-Ed using phenomenal TED Talks. Do you have an idea for a lesson? Create it now using any video from YouTube »

Meet The Creators

  • Speaker Carl Honoré

More from The Way We Think