NOnactivist for HoPper liberation.
1,643 posts
Location: ffidrac


Posted:
Mmm 'k, i'm just quite interested to know what other people know and think about the Slow movement, if anything at all, personally i find it quite interesting, albeit a lot of common sense really.

Basically the concept is to slow down, make the most of life and have less impact on the environment as a result... The 'movement' has arisen out of a variety of different groups focusing on slowness... "Slow Food" ring any bells? probably the most widely known at the moment...

Some links:...

www.slothclub.org
www.slowplanet.com
www.slowlab.net
www.slowfood.com
www.cittaslow.net
www.slowdesign.org (this is my old uni lecturer's organisation, linked in with www.tempodesign.net also..)
there's also a slow sex movement but i got a lot of dodgy hits when i tried to find a link...

or if you're really keen, read this...

so chill out, slow down, browse at your leisure and post back. And yes, it's exactly what a bunch of tree hugging hippies knew all along, but could it work? If you were in no hurry to get to work would you walk not drive? if you had endless hours for lunch would you eat mcdonalds, or a slap up five course meal? wink

Personally i love the idea of slowing everything down, not that i go that fast as it is......

Aurinko freedom agreement reached 10th Sept 2006

if it makes no sense that's because it's NOn-sense.


NOnactivist for HoPper liberation.
1,643 posts
Location: ffidrac


Posted:
and given the topics i got when i searched for slow, probably there can be a Slow Poi group too smile

Aurinko freedom agreement reached 10th Sept 2006

if it makes no sense that's because it's NOn-sense.


SixthSILVER Member
Devil May Cry
327 posts
Location: Manchester / London, United Kingdom


Posted:
yes lets name it the "sid" group after the sloth on ICE AGE smile

whatcha doin dude?
nuthin....just 'sidin'

ubblol im going nuts

I give hope to others but I keep none for myself.


linden rathenGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
6,942 posts
Location: London, UK


Posted:
thats pretty cool smile
i like that idea - not quite sure how i can slow my life down much more as i dont do much anyway (yay for being a student!)

back


oliSILVER Member
not with cactus
2,052 posts
Location: bristol/ southern eastern devon, United Kingdom


Posted:
yea im up for slowing down and general slowness. apparently if everyone drove thier cars 10 mph slower then all traffic jams would magically evaporate... (meaning some things would actually happen faster.. maybe) i either remember reading that somewhere or just made it up.

Me train running low on soul coal
They push+pull tactics are driving me loco
They shouldn't do that no no no


NOnactivist for HoPper liberation.
1,643 posts
Location: ffidrac


Posted:
wow... i didn't know that. I know how to cause a traffic jam though, you have to keep slowing down and speeding up again across a sufficient distance that everyone behind has to take the time to brake, and it requires a certain quantity of cars on the road obviously, doesn't work on your own down a counry lane in the middle of nowhere... i'd like to try that... if i could drive, but that is quite off topic...

unless stressing people out more will force them to breaking point and then they have to slow down biggrin

Aurinko freedom agreement reached 10th Sept 2006

if it makes no sense that's because it's NOn-sense.


oliSILVER Member
not with cactus
2,052 posts
Location: bristol/ southern eastern devon, United Kingdom


Posted:
there are other ways of causing traffic jams involving things like driving on the wrong side of the road... thinks: **hehe this will slow them down** ubbidea

Me train running low on soul coal
They push+pull tactics are driving me loco
They shouldn't do that no no no


Dangerousmind66Member
90 posts

Posted:
Its worth consideration, but in the long run, it would never catch on. People are far to concerned about making money and maximizing their time to do something like this.

ickleMattenthusiast
242 posts
Location: L.O.N.D.O.N.


Posted:
I agree, can't see how it will catch on given the value placed on productivity.



However, Smallness on the other hand can and does work. Smallness not only impacts the environment less but also increases productivity!



Smallness works at the economic, technological and political level.



The idea is all based on a book called 'Small is Beautiful' by E F Schumacher.



For an intro on the book: Small is beautiful



For more general info: Wikipedia



There are already a couple of organisations that are working using the ideas in the book: Schumacher Society and Practical Action

TheWibblerGOLD Member
old hand
920 posts
Location: New Zealand


Posted:
MMMMmmmm yeah i could do with some more slow in my life, thanks for the heads up.

m

Spherculism ~:~ The Act of becoming Spherculish.


NOnactivist for HoPper liberation.
1,643 posts
Location: ffidrac


Posted:
 Written by: ickleMatt


I agree, can't see how it will catch on given the value placed on productivity.

However, Smallness on the other hand can and does work. Smallness not only impacts the environment less but also increases productivity!

Smallness works at the economic, technological and political level.

The idea is all based on a book called 'Small is Beautiful' by E F Schumacher.

For an intro on the book: Small is beautiful

For more general info: Wikipedia

There are already a couple of organisations that are working using the ideas in the book: Schumacher Society and Practical Action



yeah, i've read small is beautiful also, the slow movement links in with the idea, slowing down also involves getting smaller in many ways. Slow cities in particular, this is a movement to make smaller easy to traverse cities, instead of sprawling suburbs, the idea being that it is a lot easier to move around and to get everything you need from the local area, some suburbs are going to need a heck of a redevelopment to work.

As for productivity, to concept of Slow is not to decrease productivity or profit, or leisure time, but to increase the value of it. Go fast when you need to be fast, but slow down in other aspects... There are already companies who are going that way in some ways, it's more a matter of respecting your employees and their needs for family time/leisure time/less stress. Job shares, flexitime, the French government's decision to cut the working week to 35 hours or whatever it is, it's possible to give people more time and less stress whilst still keeping the same rate of productivity. The biggest problem I could see with this is that people may be unwilling to relinquish or share power in a job, and would rather be stressed out by it than to attempt to work with another person in the same job...

Smallness and Slow are actually very closely related, and Slow couldn't happen without small in fact, it is an evolution from that point... i think so anyway smile

Aurinko freedom agreement reached 10th Sept 2006

if it makes no sense that's because it's NOn-sense.


ickleMattenthusiast
242 posts
Location: L.O.N.D.O.N.


Posted:
Ok I've taken some time to read the (working) links you provided. Very interesting. Esp slowdesign.org - good site and interesting articles.

However I see little real evolution from Smallness. Slowness and Smallness are two sides of the same coin. Both are about challenging the perceived orthodox of thought (bigger, faster, more) for a more 'people centred' approach.

However because smallness has been around for 30 years it has become more accepted as a legitimate aspect of life. Maybe now there are other pressing issues Slowness becomes more in focus as a point of potential.

But lets not forget Smallness - like my Mum always said "the best things come in small packages"

NOnactivist for HoPper liberation.
1,643 posts
Location: ffidrac


Posted:
first of all sorry if not all the links worked, i didn't check them all first, some of them came from another source than google. but perhaps also they should get a faster server for their sites umm biggrin

let's not forget smallness indeed, "think global, act local" as they also say. Probably 'evolution' was a bad choice of word, but i'd say that the two movements, could certainly benefit each other in some way.

It's really worth reading 'in praise of slow' though if you can get a copy as it's written by a fella living a typical hectic city life but investigating slow; it made me realise that it could actually appeal to a wider audience of people rather than just the usual tree huggers wink

Aurinko freedom agreement reached 10th Sept 2006

if it makes no sense that's because it's NOn-sense.


jo_rhymesSILVER Member
Momma Bear
4,525 posts
Location: Telford, Shrops, United Kingdom


Posted:
Thanks for that Non, I've been having a look around the net about the Slow Movement, I think it's a wonderful idea. I've just been on Sym's Favourite Website (aka Wikipedia) and here's their suggestions for a slower lifestyle:

* Get a Slow hobby, a leisurely pursuit like knitting, yoga, painting or gardening.

* Spread out your chores; do one load each day instead of all at once, or dust one day and vacuum the next.

* Stop watching the clock; on weekends try waking up to your body's natural rhythms rather than an alarm, and leave your watch at home

* Shop at a farmer's market

* Prepare a sit-down meal and savour it without watching TV, or reading. Enjoy the conversation if you're dining with others, or peaceful solitude if eating alone.

* On vacation slow down; don't try to cram every sight into your must-see list. Visit "slow cities" with local restaurants where you can eat slow

* Prune your to-do list; make time for the people and activities that you enjoy

Hoppers are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.


SymBRONZE Member
Geek-enviro-hippy priest
1,858 posts
Location: Diss, Norfolk, United Kingdom


Posted:
I'm a huge fan of this, in fact I have been done a lot of work towards getting Diss in Norfolk to be the 3rd Cittaslow town in the counrty.

You should look in to the Open Food Co-Op as well:

https://open.coop/openfoodcoop

There's too many home fires burning and not enough trees


NOnactivist for HoPper liberation.
1,643 posts
Location: ffidrac


Posted:
wahey, nice work sym biggrin I think we're quite lucky in the UK, i think in most towns you can be slow as well as fast. Probably a lot to do with the way they have evolved, and the general lack of space. Mind you, that's being messed up a bit with all the edge of town housing disneylands springing up...

Aurinko freedom agreement reached 10th Sept 2006

if it makes no sense that's because it's NOn-sense.


ickleMattenthusiast
242 posts
Location: L.O.N.D.O.N.


Posted:
Amazing quote from Comment at the FT:

"The hippies, the Greens, the road protesters, the downshifters, the slow-food movement - all are having their quiet revenge. Routinely derided, the ideas of these down-to-earth philosophers are being confirmed by new statistical work by psychologists and economists."

COMMENT: The hippies were right all along about happiness
By Andrew Oswald, Financial Times, Jan 19, 2006

GidgBRONZE Member
Super Gidg!!!!
8,506 posts
Location: Portland Oregon USA


Posted:
I totally believe in slow ... ask anyone that has ever taken a walk with me. biggrin

Growing old is mandatory; growing up is NOT.
Proud member of the HoP DPS.
Sanity is a highly overrated state of mind.
I'm normal ... it's everyone else that's crazy.

Gidg


shen shuiSILVER Member
no excuses. no apologies.
1,799 posts
Location: aotearoa, New Zealand


Posted:
the number of electrical impulses fired by your brain (yours..! just one little old brain) in one day is more than the total number of telephone calls made in one day (world wide).

try slowing that down.

those that know, dont say. those that say, dont know.


ickleMattenthusiast
242 posts
Location: L.O.N.D.O.N.


Posted:
meditation would do the trick nicely

SymBRONZE Member
Geek-enviro-hippy priest
1,858 posts
Location: Diss, Norfolk, United Kingdom


Posted:
I'm not sure if meditation actually reduces the number of impulses in the brain at all.

I've actually found the slow movment (Cittaslow mostly) to be full of red tape and faff, just like anything else. There is a lot of politics going on the in UK, with some towns wanting to get cittaslow status because they thinkg it's an elite club only for the best, rather than it being a way of life that any town can (and should) have.

I'm not sure why I'm posting this - I guess to let you guys know that the slow movment isn't really about doing less, or being lazy at all. I know people who have worked harder on the slow movement then a lot of other things.....

smile

There's too many home fires burning and not enough trees


NOnactivist for HoPper liberation.
1,643 posts
Location: ffidrac


Posted:
 Written by: shen shui


the number of electrical impulses fired by your brain (yours..! just one little old brain) in one day is more than the total number of telephone calls made in one day (world wide).

try slowing that down.



you can't slow that down, but slow your life down, stop stressing and those electrical impulses can do pretty amazing things, because they aren't being needed for the mundanity or constant stress that might otherwise be a key feature of your life. Slow is not about boredom, slow is about, giving yourself space and time to come up with productive thoughts, not to burn yourself out trying to come up with a thousand ideas simultaneously. Everything in the slow movement relates back to a higher quality of life not quantity...

sym > am sorry to hear about all the red tape, although i guess it would be like that, as it is was for the fairtrade town certification... but i guess it expected that it would turn to a bureaucratic process if you're asking a government to spend money...

I think Slow is a movement that relies on individuals as part of a community, i guess that's the epitome of a grassroots movement. Top down governmental rulings couldn't work - it would just be the reverse of the process that capitalism (not exclusively, but for a large part) has already caused and that is the imposition of a time scale on organic beings. "Time is Money?"... Forcing people to relax, is surely an impossible paradox (presuming tranquilisers aren't involved) it's got to come from the individual... I'm beginning to think that the classification is too much, it could come to nothing but a label, but then we have a habit of labelling everything. Even Slow, the principles would work without the name, so why name it? It's probably even going against the principles of Slow in a(nother) paradoxical way.

https://www.i-sis.org.uk/hoarchi.php
is an article i discovered a couple of years ago about... thermodynamics actually, but there are some interesting ideas in there about how time is perceived by organism and machine... it's mainly the first part, once it got into the intense thermodynamic theory, i zoned out...

Aurinko freedom agreement reached 10th Sept 2006

if it makes no sense that's because it's NOn-sense.


sagetreeGOLD Member
organic creation
246 posts
Location: earth, Wales (UK)


Posted:
i'm all for the slow movement. i've been trying to practice this without knowing it had a name.


this thread reminded me of something i read the other day:


To call time and death by the same name is a great insight. It is not a question of knowing linguistics, it is a question of experiencing something tremendously valuable.

Time and death are the same; to live in time means to live in death. And the moment time disappears, death disappears. So when you are utterly silent, when no thought moves in your mind, time disappears. You cannot have any idea what time is. And the moment time disappears and the clock of your mind stops, suddenly you enter the world of the timeless, the eternal world, the world of the absolute.

In the schools, collages and the universities you have been taught again and again that time has three tenses - past, present & future. That is absolutely wrong according to those who know. Past and future are time, but the present is not time. The present belongs to eternity. Past and future belong to this world of the relative, the world of change. Between the two penetrates the beyond, the transcendental, and that is the present. Now is part of eternity.

SymBRONZE Member
Geek-enviro-hippy priest
1,858 posts
Location: Diss, Norfolk, United Kingdom


Posted:
NOn,

It seems like we're the only country that can't cope with it. Italy and Germany both have active Slow and Cittaslow town and at meeting we had with them, they cound't understand why the UK was having so many problems with it! They were saying "why are you making a simple idea so complex". I guess that sums up the UK quite well frown

For as long as people worry more about H&S, I doubt we'll change very soon....

However, we should all do our best to change that! Take it easy, take time to eat and enjoy the place you live in. Don't blame the council or anyone else if something isn't the way you like it, just do something about it and enjoy the fact you can smile peace

There's too many home fires burning and not enough trees


mausBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
4,191 posts
Location: Sihanoukville, cambodia


Posted:
mmmmmm....slow... ubblove

Don't get much slow time these days but when i do i truly make the most of it.

Theres no better feeling than being young,taking it easy and just riding along with whatevers happening. biggrin


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