Chapter 4. WHAT IS THE SLOW MOVEMENT?

So, does the Slow movement hold the answer to our current and future productivity woes? Is it truly a social force to be reckoned with? Is it a legitimate tactic for refining merely a refuge for those who cannot handle the pace of business?

My belief is that the concepts behind the Slow movement do offer promise, but as long as they continue to run smack into the collective high-speed mentality of most North American business people, there will be no progress, and worse, no perceived need for its philosophy. The mindset that embraces speed and advancement has been fueled in the United States by over two centuries' worth of the pursuit of independence, progress, and personal freedom. Slightly younger countries (constitutionally speaking) such as Canada and Australia hold similar collective desires. Nor is the "old world" immune to the pressures of speed. Some companies and organizations in Spain, for example, have actually tried to eliminate the centuries-old tradition of siesta, replacing it, in some instances, with fast-food lunch vouchers in order to a) remain more accessible to the 24/7 marketplace and b) fit into the new commuting schedules of households with two working parents.

As the global economy continues to both advance and diversify, the pressure on working professionals to do more with fewer resources, to remain accountable to their worldwide customer base, while simultaneously staying ahead of their competitors, will only become ...

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