Carl Honoré, Voice of The Slow Movement, Bestselling Author, Broadcaster
Carl Honoré is an accomplished author from London. He is a Broadcaster and the Global Voice of the Slow Movement. He has been called the Godfather of the Slow Movement by ABC News. Likewise, he is also called an In-Demand Spokesman on Slowness by Wall Street Journal.
Podcast
Overview
We live in an age of relativity where time is precious. We have become impatient and speed has become our new normal. Furthermore, we are so focused on doing things faster that we often forget what we are doing and whether it is of any value.
We have been told to run faster or lose in the race of life. But our guest for today has a different perspective. Carl Honoré, Voice of The Slow Movement, Bestselling Author, Broadcaster talks about doing things at the right speed.
About Carl Honoré, Voice of The Slow Movement, Bestselling Author, Broadcaster
Carl Honoré is an accomplished author from London. He is a Broadcaster and the Global Voice of the Slow Movement. He has been called the Godfather of the Slow Movement by ABC News. Likewise, he is also called an In-Demand Spokesman on Slowness by Wall Street Journal.
He is an author of several books which are In Praise of Slow, Under Pressure, The Slow Fix, and the latest one is Bolder: How To Age Better And Feel Better About Aging.
About Slow Movement
It is not about doing everything very slowly. I am not an extremist of slowness. I love speed, and faster is often better. The Slow Movement is about doing things at the right speed. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, and all the different paces, speeds, and rhythms. It is a mindset, slow is about quality over quantity. It is being present at the moment and doing one thing at a time.
‘Time is Money,’ how would you react to this saying?
Time is not money, it is way more important than that. It is an element like the air that we float in. It is the filter through which we decide what is important to us. I think we have a very toxic relationship with time in the modern world.
We see time as a finite resource that is constantly running away from us, and the only solution is to go faster. This leads to racing through your life instead of living it.
How has the Pandemic impacted the Slow Movement?
The pandemic has given a huge boost to the Slow Movement. Lockdowns were like global workshops in slowness. I am not a fan of pandemics, but there has been a silver lining which was that by forcing the world to slow down. It pushed us into experiencing slowness. Pandemic gave us the luxury of having time and space to invest in things that really matter.
How do cultures impact Slow Movement?
In an urban environment, people are more compelled to go fast to pack their schedules. The virus of hurry is more prevalent in the open world. Anyone who is plugged into the global economy is infected by this obsession. I think individualistic societies are more inclined to speed. Because social relationships and family slow us down.
What is a U-shaped happiness curve?
There are so many myths about aging, and one of them is that older people are unhappy. Human beings follow a U-shaped happiness curve. We tend to start out at our most happy in childhood. Then we fall steadily till bottoming out in middle age, and then we bounce back up again. People who report the highest level of happiness and life satisfaction are over the 50s.
Combating ageism
We can start by changing the language or phrases we use. For example, if you forget the keys do not say it is a senior moment, rather say it is a goldfish moment. Second, surround yourself with people who present a much more upbeat and hopeful view of later life.
About Carl’s Books
Carl’s first book, In Praise of Slow, chronicles the global trend toward putting on the brakes in everything from work to food to parenting.
Carl’s second book, Under Pressure, explores how to raise and educate children in a fast world and was hailed by Time as a “gospel of the Slow Parenting movement.”
Carl’s third book, The Slow Fix, explores how to tackle complex problems in every walk of life, from health and relationships to business and politics, without falling for superficial, short-term quick fixes.
Carl’s latest book, Bolder: How To Age Better And Feel Better About Aging, explores aging – how we can do it better and feel better about doing it. It’s also a spirited manifesto against ageism.
Published in 35 languages, his books have landed on bestseller lists in many countries.
Profile
Carl Honoré is an accomplished author from London. He is a Broadcaster and the Global Voice of the Slow Movement. He has been called the Godfather of the Slow Movement by ABC News. Likewise, he is also called an In-Demand Spokesman on Slowness by Wall Street Journal.
He is an author of several books which are In Praise of Slow, Under Pressure, The Slow Fix, and the latest one is Bolder: How To Age Better And Feel Better About Aging.
