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Jun 7, 2013

"Sit, be still, and listen, because you're drunk and we're at the edge of the roof." --Jalaluddin Rumi

Living in the Age of Distraction

"The evidence is plentiful these days that distracted people cause harm to themselves and to others. We read reports of fatal train accidents caused by the engineer texting and of commercial flights crashing because pilots were chatting. Pedestrians and drivers are killed because they're on the phone. We need look no further than ourselves to observe distraction. How long can you focus on any activity these days? How many pages can you read before wandering off? How many other things are you doing while you're listening to a conference call? Do you still take time for open-ended conversations with friends, colleagues, or your children?" In this powerful essay, Margaret Wheatley examines the insidious effects of the "interruption technologies" that riddle our daily lives and offers up "the practice of three difficulties" for restoring balance.