Lost Horizons

Life in the Fast Lane?

In a recent study, carried out by Professor "Quirky" Wiseman, it seems that our lives are speeding up. Having measured the time it takes for pedestrians to walk along 60 feet of pavement in 32 cities worldwide, he has come to the conclusion that our speed has increased by 10 percent since the last study in 1994. It seems that the greatest acceleration was found in Asian "tiger" countries such as China and Singapore where pedestrians walk between 20 and 30 per cent faster than they did in the early '90s. Singapore has the quickest walkers in the world, where the average time for the 60 feet was 10.55 seconds; compare this to Blantyre in Malawi, where the same distance takes 31.6 seconds - thats 2 feet every second - what do they do - two steps forward and then one back?
Anyway it seems that walking speed is a good indicator of the pace of people's lives, and, as people move faster they become less likely to help others and also have higher rates of coronary heart disease.
Well I will take it all with a pinch of salt; but, the website does have an interesting test to guage your pace of life - and, sure enough, I have a typical A personality, which means that I am living life in the fast lane, rushing around and trying to juggle many different activities and projects at the same time. I tend to be impatient, excessively time-conscious, and find relaxation difficult. This might help me be productive, but my relationships and health could suffer as a consequence.
It goes on to advise me to "Try to overcome feelings of impatience by distracting yourself when stuck in queues. For example, listen to your favourite music or chat to others. Also, try spending some time in the slow lane - savour each mouthful of food or relax with friends - and discover that the world doesn't grind to a halt."
Well that's as maybe, but I still get infuriated, when I am in a hurry (almost always) and have to weave my way through dawdling tourists and shoppers. Maybe its time to take up yoga or taichi - NAH!

posted by Luke @ 10:21 AM