Summary of How does the pace of life affect the quality of life

Philosophy Posted October 28, 1999

Summary of "How does the pace of life affect the quality of life?" - by Bernard Roy

Everyone present loved the new location. The turnout was low; many of you had written to me that Monday was not a good time. I didn't feel that we had a necessary quorum to conduct the meeting that I had planned. We can do that next time. Next time we shall meet on our usual Wednesday at the new location. Ken had put some of his thoughts on paper and passed them around. Maybe, he'll post them to the discussion list.

Our discussion this evening seemed to be quite divided on the issue. On the one hand there were those who seemed to feel that the rapid (busy) pace of life was conducive to a desired quality of life; and, on the other hand, there were those who felt that a slow (quiet) pace was the path to
integrity, peace and happiness.

The first concern was to define a "pace" of life. Did that mean that one had a lot to do, but nevertheless managed to do it all keeping a sense that nothing of quality had been compromised? Or did that mean that one had to compromise quality in order to complete all the tasks? Most felt that the pace of life had to do with the number of tasks or assignments that either we placed on ourselves or that we were obliged to do. The notion of an obligation did not bother those who favored the rapid pace. In fact, they felt that they could feel the same sense of satisfaction without the obligations. Larry mentioned that he could not function without deadlines
imposed from the outside.

I asked whether the obligations coming from the outside did not, in some way, erode our ability to choose. I also wondered whether a rapid pace or a busy schedule did not take away from us the possibility of finding out about ourselves. Isn't a busy schedule a way out of facing ourselves? "Yes," was the answer, but the high associated with the busy schedule was
as much (if not more) about ourselves as an attempt to plumb our inner self. Besides, some complained that the prospect of loneliness (or boredom) was much too frightening.

Ken mentioned that the supercharged schedules that we impose on ourselves are responsible for premature aging, sleep deprivation, etc. The consensus was that it didn't seem to matter to the kind of personality who was addicted to the fast pace of life.

Mr. Kuo presented the opposite side of the issue. He thought that actions that did not come from the heart were wasteful of human energy. This energy was needed to connect the self into an integral whole. "But what was this individual to do faced with outside oppression?" Larry asked. Events that are independent of our will need to be accepted for what they are. Life
goes on (or it doesn't). If it does, then the individual continues to gather himself or herself into a whole. A fast pace can only lead to a breakdown of the self. It was feared that sometimes we couldn't make the choices that would be beneficial to us; we lacked the freedom to act. For
example when we have a medical affliction like diabetes or depression. Mr. Kuo felt that, with the help of solitude and concentration, we could focus on ourselves and (really) choose.