The Cost of No Friction

Technology has stripped every small friction from our lives. You can reach a friend instantly, wherever they are in the world. You can order anything you want. Food comes in endless variety. There is always somewhere to go, at any hour. You can build anything you can imagine. You can teach yourself any skill. Technology has made everything possible, and in doing so, it has made everything impossible. We no longer sit alone with ourselves, waiting for a letter to arrive. We no longer step outside simply to watch people and how they behave. We have lost the art of waiting. We want everything, and we want it now. This raises a question: has the rise of technology been good or bad for us? The common belief is that people were happier when they had a few friends, a small house, and a narrow view of the world and its politics. Now we know about everything, and so we are miserable about everything. We care more about what's happening in France than in our own backyard. At a broader level,…