Within the modern context it's impossible to divorce the urge to efficiency from capitalism and industrialization. That's, I suspect, why applying notions of efficiency to education are so deeply off-putting, because it's turning our children into products that need to be "produced" in the fastest, most effective way possible to make them optimally useful to the machine. And that's just gross, at least if you care about the tender, wild, anarchic nature of children and learning.
Having grown up Quaker, I have some deep-seated spiritual resistance to efficiency, because it's impossible, in my experience, to wrestle an entire group of imperfect humans and God into a room and get them all on the same page. But the exercise, despite how long it takes, can be deeply enlivening. And reveal truth that otherwise would be missed.
When contemplating the drive for efficiency in myself or others, in businesses or institutions, I'm always asking myself what "more" is going to be gained and who will benefit from whatever that "more" is. If I feel that the constant rapacious expansiveness of corporate capitalism is at the heart of the drive, that the goal is to turn people into products, then I can't help but default (even in myself) to a deep suspicion that I'm missing the real point and maybe the best answer would actually be to slow the hell down.
I love this sentence so much: " it's impossible, in my experience, to wrestle an entire group of imperfect humans and God into a room and get them all on the same page."
The most insidious part of this issue is when you try to stop being overly productive/efficient and everyone else has an opinion...or you feel that nagging deep down to be more efficient. We are born with it here and then socially people around you may pat you on the head if you 'opt out' of that way of living/being. When our family moved to the country and out of the city is when I noticed this collective shunning. It felt like my old city friends would figuratively pat my head with a "that's nice for you" when I would say slowing down is important. But if anything - that is what our kids should be teaching US - to slow the hell down and enjoy their very short youthfulness. It's us adults that are the problem. Who are we being so "BUSY" for? Who told us we had to run around like chickens with our heads cut off? As an artist and a writer it doesn't serve me at all. Time spent looking through old books and staring at the clouds actually makes me more productive because when I am done, I have the energy and answers I needed that I would not have gotten by just constantly moving around and doing. We are not machines. We are not robots. Also, we have to get our phones out of our faces because technology makes us feel like we are more productive/efficient than we really are. Put the phone down and make something.
This theme on efficiency as an addiction is beautifully and helpfully presented. I like Parker’s comment as well. He’s a national treasure and your references to his wisdom are consistently illuminating. Thanks so much for this new insight! DD
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this brilliant inquiry into efficiency! I have been struggling with this also and am often tempted to abandon it entirely...so I love how you have called in the idea of awareness and choosing.
This piece struck a chord with me. My main exercise these days is walking and I often combine it with errands to give myself a destination. I've found that doing errands inefficiently increases my exercise. I could go to the grocery store and stop by the drug store nearby on one trip. Instead, I go to a different drug store in the other direction and get more steps. However, while I have many things I need to work on, I do not have kids or a job with time requirements or a regular commute. It's a joy for me to be able to be inefficient this way, but there are many chores I'm bad at that would be improved by a spot of efficiency. Thanks.
I think about efficiency a lot through an education policy lens since that is the tradition I come from. In that world, efficiency is the enemy of equity. Case in point: school closures in Black and Brown neighborhoods.
There's quite a bit with respect to how the two work to cancel each other out in K12 education policy. I think it can be extrapolated to other areas of life.
Within the modern context it's impossible to divorce the urge to efficiency from capitalism and industrialization. That's, I suspect, why applying notions of efficiency to education are so deeply off-putting, because it's turning our children into products that need to be "produced" in the fastest, most effective way possible to make them optimally useful to the machine. And that's just gross, at least if you care about the tender, wild, anarchic nature of children and learning.
Having grown up Quaker, I have some deep-seated spiritual resistance to efficiency, because it's impossible, in my experience, to wrestle an entire group of imperfect humans and God into a room and get them all on the same page. But the exercise, despite how long it takes, can be deeply enlivening. And reveal truth that otherwise would be missed.
When contemplating the drive for efficiency in myself or others, in businesses or institutions, I'm always asking myself what "more" is going to be gained and who will benefit from whatever that "more" is. If I feel that the constant rapacious expansiveness of corporate capitalism is at the heart of the drive, that the goal is to turn people into products, then I can't help but default (even in myself) to a deep suspicion that I'm missing the real point and maybe the best answer would actually be to slow the hell down.
I love this sentence so much: " it's impossible, in my experience, to wrestle an entire group of imperfect humans and God into a room and get them all on the same page."
“Go take a smoke break, a-hole.” Haha! Okay okay, happy to join you!
The most insidious part of this issue is when you try to stop being overly productive/efficient and everyone else has an opinion...or you feel that nagging deep down to be more efficient. We are born with it here and then socially people around you may pat you on the head if you 'opt out' of that way of living/being. When our family moved to the country and out of the city is when I noticed this collective shunning. It felt like my old city friends would figuratively pat my head with a "that's nice for you" when I would say slowing down is important. But if anything - that is what our kids should be teaching US - to slow the hell down and enjoy their very short youthfulness. It's us adults that are the problem. Who are we being so "BUSY" for? Who told us we had to run around like chickens with our heads cut off? As an artist and a writer it doesn't serve me at all. Time spent looking through old books and staring at the clouds actually makes me more productive because when I am done, I have the energy and answers I needed that I would not have gotten by just constantly moving around and doing. We are not machines. We are not robots. Also, we have to get our phones out of our faces because technology makes us feel like we are more productive/efficient than we really are. Put the phone down and make something.
I got SO MUCH of the "that's nice for you" attitude when I told people I was taking a sabbatical, so really get exactly what you're saying Alison.
This theme on efficiency as an addiction is beautifully and helpfully presented. I like Parker’s comment as well. He’s a national treasure and your references to his wisdom are consistently illuminating. Thanks so much for this new insight! DD
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this brilliant inquiry into efficiency! I have been struggling with this also and am often tempted to abandon it entirely...so I love how you have called in the idea of awareness and choosing.
I definitely resonate with this!
This piece struck a chord with me. My main exercise these days is walking and I often combine it with errands to give myself a destination. I've found that doing errands inefficiently increases my exercise. I could go to the grocery store and stop by the drug store nearby on one trip. Instead, I go to a different drug store in the other direction and get more steps. However, while I have many things I need to work on, I do not have kids or a job with time requirements or a regular commute. It's a joy for me to be able to be inefficient this way, but there are many chores I'm bad at that would be improved by a spot of efficiency. Thanks.
I think about efficiency a lot through an education policy lens since that is the tradition I come from. In that world, efficiency is the enemy of equity. Case in point: school closures in Black and Brown neighborhoods.
Great point. I'd love to see more writing on efficiency-equity dynamic.
There's quite a bit with respect to how the two work to cancel each other out in K12 education policy. I think it can be extrapolated to other areas of life.