The Psychology of Slow Living

Many readers are likely to be familiar with the Italian notion of Slow Food introduced by Carlo Petrini. This book applies such a philosophy to slow living more generally, drawing on the spiritual traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism and the author’s family Judaism as well as various branches of psychology. It could not be more timely in an age of what Elliot calls velocentricity, instrumentally characterised by the imperatives of speed, efficiency and productivity. As Jacob Needleman also observed in Time and the Soul, we have become enslaved to our own mechanical time, when our natural rhythm is that of the soul – this is real peace of mind. The consequence in our world of consumerism and instant gratification is increased levels of burnout, stress and mental health disorders in the context of what one thinker calls Nature Deficit Disorder – not currently listed in the DSM.

Quick fixes and life hacks are not the answer, as they leave ‘the underlying causes largely unaddressed and consequently untreated.’ Rather, we need to address our whole way of life, especially its pace and the paradoxical predicament ‘of being in a hurry to slow down.’ Elliot provides the reader with psychological, philosophical and spiritual foundations for slow living with a view to enabling a shift in thinking and lifestyle. Throughout the book, he returns to the metaphor of the garden and gardening, especially in relation to Japanese culture where the tea ceremony is also an exemplar of slow and conscious living. In Italy, there is now a slow city movement (Citta), which the author cleverly compares with its Buddhist usage. His chapters on the various spiritual traditions are highly informative, reminding us of the central importance of being and stillness. We still have a tendency in the West to seek ‘shortcuts over discipline practice and stimulation over stillness’ (p. 48).

The author devotes chapters to rediscovering and reclaiming the pace of nature, and comparisons of streams of consciousness with streams of data. In discussing the increasing prevalence of digital discourse and computational metaphors, I felt he could have been more critical, and noted the absence of any reference to the heart. I don’t personally take the view that we are already cyborgs, and it seems to me that there is an important barrier that is crossed with implants, especially when related to the Internet of Things and the Internet of Bodies mediated by 6G. For me, it is crucial to uphold the human spiritual essence in the face of these technological developments and the encroachment of technocracy and algocracy - a relatively new word. The final chapter on the Sabbath reminds us that most shops used to be closed on Sundays. In the closing pages, Elliot returns to the lessons of gardening and baking, reminding us that ‘both activities impart the importance of learning to slow down and synchronise ourselves with a more natural, harmonious and humanising pace; ultimately letting go of the seductive illusion of and obsessive need for control.’ (p. 125) This is very much a book for our times, that will speak to the lives of every reader and provide space to consider how we might slow ourselves down in the process.