Consider an individual, tired of the rat race who leaves the city in pursuit of a more traditional existence. He eschews the latest technology and consumerist must-haves and stops to smell the roses. He rarely uses his cell phone or watches television and trips to the shopping mall for relaxation are things of the past. He grows his own food, possibly builds his own house and escapes the demands of modern consumerism. In short, he has slowed down and is joining the rising number of people who reject the modern world’s love affair with pace and pressure. He has slowed down but is he living a fulfilled life?
To give a sweeping response to this question would make me subject to the phenomena I wish to uncover in all cultural trends, in this case ‘slowing down’. Cultural trends often highlight the Group Myth – the unquestioned assumption that ‘It is better to be part of a group than be an individual’. Thus replacing a face-paced existence with slower living might amount to little more than allowing others to choose for us. This might manifest as social conformity or effectively relinquishing responsibility for our own lives. The latter is what existential writers like Heidegger (1962) refer to as colluding with the ‘They- Self’ or Nietzsche as the ‘Herd’. It results in making choices from our perception of others’ expectations and social conventions. The cost is that we relinquish responsibility for choosing how to live our own life.
I believe that the concept of Slowing Down is fraught with similar problems to the pursuit of greater work/life balance. Work/life balance is fundamentally flawed since it encourages separation and fragmentation. Greater timemanagement and efficient goal-setting are offered as the answer to balancing the see-saw. Effort is expended trying to balance the disparate parts of our lives which only increases our busy-ness as we try to ‘have it all’.
So, are these pioneers of slowing down subject to the same cultural pressures as the face-pacers, only manifested in another form? In terms of how to attain a fulfilled life, I suggest that the solution lies in shifting the paradigm from work/life balance to work/life integration. Work-life integration implies a synergy between the different aspects of your life with everything you do imbued with values reflecting who you are as a person – not just a set of roles.
Self Reflection Exercise
Consider your own desire for a more fulfilled life with a slower pace. What are your own assumptions about what this entails and how might the pursuit of greater work/life balance be standing in the way of you actually attaining it?
|
