The Value of Quiet Time in the Age of Constant Noise (3 min)
Noise and hurry - the subtle, but relentless thieves of deep thought and reflection.
The average iPhone user touches their phone > 2,600 times per day (double that for millennials).
The average person in the US is exposed to 5,000 ads per day.
The most common response people give when people ask, “How are you?” is “Busy!”
We have quickly lost the ability to sit still and be quiet for an extended period of time, and research shows it’s deteriorating our ability to focus and has decreased the average attention span by more than 30%.
A recent TED article explains why it is critical that we make some changes, NOW and a recent book I read makes the same point.
Here are the highlights.
Key excerpt:
“The situation is dire. Just as with global warming, we may already be near the point of no return. Invisibly, almost without notice, we are losing ourselves. We are losing our ability to know who we are and what is important to us. We are creating a global machine in which each of us is a mindless and reflexive cog, relentlessly driven by the speed, noise, and artificial urgency of the wired world.”
Punchline:
Schools, businesses, and individuals need to build silence, solitude, and time for deep thought into their day. The alternative is continuing to rush through life distracted, without awareness of who we are and what we value.
Call to action:
Start small.
Build 15 minutes into your day where you are alone, disconnect from tech, and sit in silence.
You will notice your mind start to race and you’ll feel like you’re supposed to be doing things. That’s okay! With time, this frantic feeling of “I’m supposed to be doing things!” will decrease and you will start to realize that the universe does not depend on you constantly going, doing
If you want to dive deeper into this topic:
Read this TED article and think about it’s implications for yourself, your workplace, and your home.
Read this book: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer to go even deeper on this topic.
“Don’t we owe all of our children a world in which their contemplative lives are valued and supported? Don’t we owe it to ourselves?”
