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Speed: Facing Our Addiction to Fast and Faster--And Overcoming Our Fear of Slowing Down
MORE, BETTER…SLOWER.Feeling rushed, out of control, and overwhelmed?Feeling like you can’t keep up…and can’t stop?It’s not just you.From the need to be constantly connected and the changing definition of “work hours,” to unrealistic expectations of instant gratification, our bodies and brains are being harmed by habits that, as with any kind of addiction, promise short-term satisfaction while doing long-term damage.As a psychologist and addiction expert who practices in Silicon Valley, Stephanie Brown sees firsthand the impact of ever-faster technology and the culture it has spawned. She knows it’s affecting us mentally, physically, and spiritually. In this groundbreaking book, she explores how our beliefs and behaviors are being shaped by the seemingly limitless new world we’ve entered in recent years—and why faster doesn’t always equal better. Dr. Brown offers a step-by-step plan for breaking out of the speed trap. With practical guidelines, she shows us how to ease up on the gas pedal and reconnect with ourselves, learning to accept—and value—our limitations as human beings, reduce our stress levels, and free ourselves from our counterproductive obsession with speed.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 15, 2020
BreakawayIndividual.com
Zy Marquiez
September 16, 2020
In Speed – Facing Our Addiction To Fast & Faster And Overcoming Our Fear Of Slowing Down, Dr. Stephanie Brown Ph.D. not only offers a very unique vantage point from which to view the addiction to speed through the internet of things and more, but also touches upon how the rapid evolution of our lives within the confines of the internet has created a very serious problem of addiction with society’s new fast paced life.
Dr. Brown’s premise is that society is addicted to the fast-paced-no-matter-the-consequences type of lifestyle, and this lifestyle choice has caused many individuals to become addicted to the high speed of modern times, technology being a major anchoring component of this addiction.
In essence, Speed is divided up into two parts. Part one covers much of what addiction entails and how this modern issue has come about. Part two offers a pragmatic approach for individuals to regain control of their lives by employing proactive solutions in a mindful way.
Likewise, Brown not only shows a healthy dose of examples about how addiction to speed plays out in everyday life, but also homes in on one crucial way in which individuals can begin taking control of this issue.
For instance, streamlining her approach using the concept of AA, Brown carries out a veritable top-down, user-friendly method in which individuals can become their own best helpers and best version of themselves. Not only does the author consistently warn about the perils of instant gratification that modern fast-paced life is fraught with, but she’s also cognizant of the limits all individuals have.
Having faced this all-too-pervasive issue myself at various junctures of my life, I know all too well how much precious time one can lose online without even knowing it.
Dr. Brown herself cautions that the addiction to speed:
“…is outstripping people’s ability to manage, to fulfill all of their responsibilities, and even to cope. The idea that we literally have at our fingertips the tools to do so much more than we actually have the capacity to do well has created an impossible bind that leads to chronic stress and a sense of failure. You do not have the ability to be on 24/7 like a computer, but you believe you should be able to keep going, and that you will be able to do so if you only try harder. And so you push yourself incessantly, creating an addictive spiral.”1[Emphasis Added]
Likewise, this kind of addiction has spawned what is called dichotomous thinking, which is best exemplified by:
“The belief that you are either a success or failure, a winner or loser, will drive you to stay in motion. If you are caught in dichotomous thinking, you might think you are being asked to embrace the opposite of frenzied speed with no limits. You’ve tried to do everything before you so you’ll do nothing. This thinking, often believed to be the way smart people operate, is actually false and dangerous when you’re growing up living in a complex world. Very few complicated decisions can be boiled down to yes or not without careful thought to multiple factors involved and the potential costs.”2
Given the trenchant and highly addictive nature of this issue, individuals going through this need to create a whole new approach when dealing with anything fast-paced, which is where Dr. Brown’s book shines.
Soberingly though, Dr. Brown doesn’t pretend that overcoming the issue of Speed going to be easy either, as she cautious the reader to be mindful of the fact that relapse does take place if one is not mindful. That said, being cognizant of what to expect is one way to be ready for what life throws at you, and those preparations will definitely help bring about change as long as one stays the course and is ever-mindful of their circumstances, choices, and habits.
In a world where nigh nobody ever stops to take a deep breath to regain their composure and center themselves, myself included, ideas like Mindfulness and Deep Breathing are still not as mainstream as they should be. Therefore, individuals stand much to gain significantly from everything discussed in this book.
Brown’s work has been crucial in my case, not only helping me identify mindpoints where I operated out of a go-go-go mentality, but it also helped me considerably in realizing the need to anchor down and center myself far more often, and particularly when the circumstances become highly stressful.
If part of society doesn’t realize that the go-go-go fast-paced life that never stops for anything has a very serious addiction at its core, then it stands to bottom out as it bolts towards the next obstacle, as is easy to do when one doesn’t realize they are doing it, particularly those raised on cell phones and laptops, rather than the older generations.
That’s why it would be prudent to keep in mind the information in this book, because odds are we all know at least one person, if not many, ourselves included that would benefit from this information. I know I myself easily fall within the above category.
If you truly want to know how addiction to speed looks like and what you can do about it, get this book. I don’t know one person that wouldn’t benefit from it. After several readings, it still continues to be crucial in my life as a reminder of what not to do. And if you have an addiction to speed or gravitate somewhat towards it, it can certainly change your life as well, so please be open to it given how easy it is to lose hundreds of hours a year, if not more.
___________________________________________________________
Footnotes:
[1] Dr. Stephanie Brown Ph.D., Speed – Facing Our Addiction To Fast & Faster And Overcoming Our Fear Of Slowing Down, p. 5.
[2] Ibid., p. 277.
Zy Marquiez
September 16, 2020
In Speed – Facing Our Addiction To Fast & Faster And Overcoming Our Fear Of Slowing Down, Dr. Stephanie Brown Ph.D. not only offers a very unique vantage point from which to view the addiction to speed through the internet of things and more, but also touches upon how the rapid evolution of our lives within the confines of the internet has created a very serious problem of addiction with society’s new fast paced life.
Dr. Brown’s premise is that society is addicted to the fast-paced-no-matter-the-consequences type of lifestyle, and this lifestyle choice has caused many individuals to become addicted to the high speed of modern times, technology being a major anchoring component of this addiction.
In essence, Speed is divided up into two parts. Part one covers much of what addiction entails and how this modern issue has come about. Part two offers a pragmatic approach for individuals to regain control of their lives by employing proactive solutions in a mindful way.
Likewise, Brown not only shows a healthy dose of examples about how addiction to speed plays out in everyday life, but also homes in on one crucial way in which individuals can begin taking control of this issue.
For instance, streamlining her approach using the concept of AA, Brown carries out a veritable top-down, user-friendly method in which individuals can become their own best helpers and best version of themselves. Not only does the author consistently warn about the perils of instant gratification that modern fast-paced life is fraught with, but she’s also cognizant of the limits all individuals have.
Having faced this all-too-pervasive issue myself at various junctures of my life, I know all too well how much precious time one can lose online without even knowing it.
Dr. Brown herself cautions that the addiction to speed:
“…is outstripping people’s ability to manage, to fulfill all of their responsibilities, and even to cope. The idea that we literally have at our fingertips the tools to do so much more than we actually have the capacity to do well has created an impossible bind that leads to chronic stress and a sense of failure. You do not have the ability to be on 24/7 like a computer, but you believe you should be able to keep going, and that you will be able to do so if you only try harder. And so you push yourself incessantly, creating an addictive spiral.”1[Emphasis Added]
Likewise, this kind of addiction has spawned what is called dichotomous thinking, which is best exemplified by:
“The belief that you are either a success or failure, a winner or loser, will drive you to stay in motion. If you are caught in dichotomous thinking, you might think you are being asked to embrace the opposite of frenzied speed with no limits. You’ve tried to do everything before you so you’ll do nothing. This thinking, often believed to be the way smart people operate, is actually false and dangerous when you’re growing up living in a complex world. Very few complicated decisions can be boiled down to yes or not without careful thought to multiple factors involved and the potential costs.”2
Given the trenchant and highly addictive nature of this issue, individuals going through this need to create a whole new approach when dealing with anything fast-paced, which is where Dr. Brown’s book shines.
Soberingly though, Dr. Brown doesn’t pretend that overcoming the issue of Speed going to be easy either, as she cautious the reader to be mindful of the fact that relapse does take place if one is not mindful. That said, being cognizant of what to expect is one way to be ready for what life throws at you, and those preparations will definitely help bring about change as long as one stays the course and is ever-mindful of their circumstances, choices, and habits.
In a world where nigh nobody ever stops to take a deep breath to regain their composure and center themselves, myself included, ideas like Mindfulness and Deep Breathing are still not as mainstream as they should be. Therefore, individuals stand much to gain significantly from everything discussed in this book.
Brown’s work has been crucial in my case, not only helping me identify mindpoints where I operated out of a go-go-go mentality, but it also helped me considerably in realizing the need to anchor down and center myself far more often, and particularly when the circumstances become highly stressful.
If part of society doesn’t realize that the go-go-go fast-paced life that never stops for anything has a very serious addiction at its core, then it stands to bottom out as it bolts towards the next obstacle, as is easy to do when one doesn’t realize they are doing it, particularly those raised on cell phones and laptops, rather than the older generations.
That’s why it would be prudent to keep in mind the information in this book, because odds are we all know at least one person, if not many, ourselves included that would benefit from this information. I know I myself easily fall within the above category.
If you truly want to know how addiction to speed looks like and what you can do about it, get this book. I don’t know one person that wouldn’t benefit from it. After several readings, it still continues to be crucial in my life as a reminder of what not to do. And if you have an addiction to speed or gravitate somewhat towards it, it can certainly change your life as well, so please be open to it given how easy it is to lose hundreds of hours a year, if not more.
___________________________________________________________
Footnotes:
[1] Dr. Stephanie Brown Ph.D., Speed – Facing Our Addiction To Fast & Faster And Overcoming Our Fear Of Slowing Down, p. 5.
[2] Ibid., p. 277.
April 21, 2014
This is a very well researched book. Mixed in with many personal anecdotes are some very unique and telling points about how we live our lives in the 21st century. Parts of this book especially resonated with some of my high school experience and I believe that this book has helped me analyze my life more thoroughly and help to change elements of it.
June 30, 2018
I listened to the audio book at 1.25 SPEED because a SPEED of 1 was too slow. The book is okay. The author is an addiction specialist and recovering alcoholic so she knows her subject matter.
She lives or lived in Silicon Valley at the height of the .com boom in the 1990’s and saw first ha d how our society became addicted to the speed of a fast paced work life and technology.
Fast forward to today (2018) and people are starting to realize that smart phones, Facebook, and Twitter are also social ills (and mostly used for intended purposes).
The author presents ways to reduce addiction to speed.
A good book premise which I agree with and too long for my liking which is why I only give it 2 stars.
I’m on the fence about recommending this book and would probably say read the title, the first and last two chapters rather than the whole book.
She lives or lived in Silicon Valley at the height of the .com boom in the 1990’s and saw first ha d how our society became addicted to the speed of a fast paced work life and technology.
Fast forward to today (2018) and people are starting to realize that smart phones, Facebook, and Twitter are also social ills (and mostly used for intended purposes).
The author presents ways to reduce addiction to speed.
A good book premise which I agree with and too long for my liking which is why I only give it 2 stars.
I’m on the fence about recommending this book and would probably say read the title, the first and last two chapters rather than the whole book.
July 13, 2017
Stephanie Brown took the words right out of my mouth, and articulated all my thoughts on our current culture of workaholism. Loved this.
January 3, 2021
Much more about addiction than I thought - interesting that addiction is addiction regardless of the what
January 19, 2025
good
They said I had to review this. It’s good. Too busy for a formal review. Got a million things to do
They said I had to review this. It’s good. Too busy for a formal review. Got a million things to do
June 2, 2025
This has to be one of the most informative books I've ever read.
June 29, 2015
Though I live in the so-called "Silicon Valley" myself, and personally know a great number of people who have succumbed to this "Speed Syndrome" Dr. Brown describes, I do not particularly suffer from it myself, nor do I cotton to the mindset among those who have acquired it, and the various "restructurings" of the working world which itself has brought them to their knees, with its greed, its speed, and its never-ending quest for "MORE." So it's actually hard to feel sorry for those who've come down with this particular malaise, though Dr. Brown lays out a great case for examining the symptoms, and what ought to be a good method for relieving oneself of it.
But I don't have "speedism", not personally. This in fact because I have never cottoned to what those caught up in it deem the values of success to begin with. Whether the trappings (materialism! a job which delegates them Power! a car which delegates them status! a need for land acquisition! and fancy toys!)-or the symptoms (easily bored, can't focus or concentrate because achieving the next goal is all you see, hyper-attention to deadlines, shallow personal relationships, etc) and getting STUFF done!!! Personally I don't feel I'll ever be stuck in this trap since I never bought into it as useful in the first place. My philosophy has been to live comfortable and f'ing hang the rest and the consequences. If that keeps me an outsider much of my life, well, so be it, But at least I'll manage to hopefully live long and die healthy.
But I don't have "speedism", not personally. This in fact because I have never cottoned to what those caught up in it deem the values of success to begin with. Whether the trappings (materialism! a job which delegates them Power! a car which delegates them status! a need for land acquisition! and fancy toys!)-or the symptoms (easily bored, can't focus or concentrate because achieving the next goal is all you see, hyper-attention to deadlines, shallow personal relationships, etc) and getting STUFF done!!! Personally I don't feel I'll ever be stuck in this trap since I never bought into it as useful in the first place. My philosophy has been to live comfortable and f'ing hang the rest and the consequences. If that keeps me an outsider much of my life, well, so be it, But at least I'll manage to hopefully live long and die healthy.
April 16, 2014
A very compelling, thought provoking study of how the pace of life, going from fast to faster to stay successful has its costs and reflects patterns consistent with addiction. Stephanie is a nation-wide expert on addiction and she has "nailed it" in her astute observations of behavior in our culture right now. Time to slow down and think about what we are doing...to ourselves and our children.
January 27, 2014
This is such an important book for all of us in Silicon Valley especially, and especially those of us with kids, in my opinion. Even if you aren't addicted to your iPhone or to the race for success, you will likely recognize some of your own behaviors, and your kids', in this book!
June 2, 2015
Great information but not a very engaging read.
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April 4, 2017
Being always on and connected has it's downside too. Ironically, I listened to this book at double speed, so that I could get through it before it was due back at the library. But it reinforced my goal of finding more time for introspection and connection with people without technology.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews