15 Comments
User's avatar
Rick Lewis's avatar

If I knew exactly where you lived I would have bought a plane ticket and showed up at your door to deliver my comments about how much I appreciate your article in person, but I looked up the population of Austin and decided that going door to door so I could surprise you might take me a while. So I'm sadly and efficiently delivering my appreciation here in the comment section for the skill with which you've woven your personal experience into a compelling and useful consideration. Today I'll be staying on the lookout for how my admitted personal obsession with efficiency might be costing me the things that are really most important. Thank you!

Expand full comment
Arman Khodadoost's avatar

Ah Rick, receiving a notification that you've commented always makes my day. I enjoy reading them more than my own essay. The affliction of efficiency still plagues me everyday.

Expand full comment
Rick Lewis's avatar

I think it's why I love writing so much, because taking the time to slow down, think about one's experience and then communicate it, even when sometimes you're not sure if it makes a difference for anyone, feels inefficient. That's why I appreciated your article because it shined a light on the fact we're all trying to make our communications "efficient" - but there is a real tragedy in that. It seems like writing embodies a bit of hope for reversing that mentality.

Expand full comment
Arman Khodadoost's avatar

Your love for writing shines through. I'm glad you have committed to sharing it.

Expand full comment
The Principle Podcast's avatar

Reminds me of the "do things that don't scale" adage. Great piece!

Expand full comment
Arman Khodadoost's avatar

Thank you my friend!

Expand full comment
Eric Ho's avatar

There’s a word that comes to mind as I read this lovely take on assumptions about efficiency.

Savouring.

When we’re inefficient we can savour more. Be in the moment more.

I see the cost of efficiency in our food choices too. It’s easy to buy something ready made. Eating for convenience rather than for health is so inefficient in the long run because you spend the rest of your life trying to restore health

Expand full comment
Arman Khodadoost's avatar

That's a word I could use a lot more of in my life. Savour the little moments and they will no longer feel little.

So true about food. The easy choice of eating fast food leads to the hard life of suffering the consequences.

Expand full comment
Nils Bohlin's avatar

Isn't inefficiency the same idea as Slow Food, Slow Life? That is, deliberately allow yourself to spend more time to absorb all the value of the activity you pursue? I try to test slow activities now and the. Like sitting on a park bench for ten minutes to draw out as much information I can. There is surprisingly much information which you normally miss.

Expand full comment
Arman Khodadoost's avatar

I have never heard that phrase before but I like it. It seems to all come down to being fully present in the moment. I like the idea of purposely slow activities!

Expand full comment
Nils Bohlin's avatar

Yeah. Especially Slow Food is a subtrend where both meals and the preparation take more time than usual. That’s the point

Expand full comment
Karena's avatar

Inefficient = better? Yes!

I have been noodling this issue around the topic of food waste and sustainability recently. Did we do ourselves a favour when we created fast food to save cooking time, just so we could spend the saved time needlessly scrolling through tiktok reels?

"Food" for thought. And now you have served me a feast for the mind.

Thanks Arman!

Expand full comment
Arman Khodadoost's avatar

Haha right? I think many of the inefficient activities we used to do provided a forced dose of meditation.

Expand full comment
Karena's avatar

[Apologies to all who dont eat pork or meat] One of the reasons we took our NYC-bred kids around the world, was to teach them the natural time-interrupt between wanting a slice of bacon and watching the baby piglet you raised, fed and loved over 3 years being led to slaughter. #slowfood #village life

Expand full comment
Arman Khodadoost's avatar

Extended periods of International travel have been one of the greatest experiences of my life. Such a great reminder that our society may not do everything perfectly.

Expand full comment