Federico De Rosa, our Italian correspondent for Città Nuova, who has autism, offers his answer.
The social maelstrom seems to be getting worse. Social networks force us to do things at a faster pace and we see this in other people’s profiles or comments. On the contrary, I use social media slowly, and to get in touch with others, as I’m not able to do it in person. I slow things down so to speak. In everyday life, I often slow down my own movements, if someone tries to hurry me. In this period, I’m forcing myself to eat slowly and tastefully with the advice of my therapist Roberto, who suggests ideas for my health. But our whole society needs to calm down.
Professor Lamberto Maffei in his book Eulogy of Slowness explains the advantages of slow thinking, for it allows our brain, which is a slow machine, to function at its best and become more creative.
Luis Sepùlveda, author of History of a Snail, who has discovered the importance of slowness, creates a slow world made up of little things, minute creatures, and simple relationships. The protagonist of his story is a snail that leaves the land where it was born to discover the advantages of being a snail. It gives a name that is also a program: Rebel, because the choice of slowness can improve society, lend value to small things, and simple moments, to genuine relationships, and to meeting different people. May 7, in fact, was the World Day of Slowness: we change our directions so as to become happier.
