Frenetic Standstill
4 years, 6 months, 9 days, 17 hours
12 January 2025
Guest blog by Dr Frederick Levy: It is crucial to cultivate as leaders a more-thoughtful approach to our own actions.
We frequently hear assertions that we inhabit an era of unprecedented technological change, often in the context of artificial intelligence or digital communication. However, as Hartmut Rosa argues in his work Social Acceleration: A New Theory of Modernity (translated from German), this experience is not novel. He traces its roots back to the Enlightenment, a period marked by burgeoning urban centres and the emergence of a socially mobile upper class, caught in what he terms the ‘tourbillon social.’
Rosa posits that we perceive social, technological, and personal relationships as constantly accelerating. This perception, paradoxically, leads to a persistent sense of time scarcity, even amidst perceived increases in productivity and despite technological advancements. This manifests in seemingly mundane ways—more time is now spent on cleaning than before the advent of washing machines—as well as in broader economic trends. For instance, the UK's productivity remains 1.6% below 2019 levels (see ONS).
Rosa's philosophical analysis concludes that we exist in a state of ‘frenetic standstill.’ A significant consequence of this state is the rise of ‘situational politics,’ where the pressure for rapid responses fosters a political structure that becomes self-serving, reacting to immediate problems without the capacity to shape long-term societal or historical trajectories.
This potential for short-termism in the political sphere misaligns with the enduring challenge of climate change, a challenge that requires a perspective extending beyond the immediate. The beginning of 2025 was marked by reports from the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Service, the UK Met Office, and Japan’s weather agency confirming that Earth experienced its hottest year on record, exceeding the pre-industrial baseline by more than 1.5°C.
In response to the increasing prevalence of extreme heat, the EU plans to conduct stress tests on rail and power grid infrastructure. Similarly, London conducted Operation Helios in July 2024 to assess the preparedness of emergency responders, following recommendations from the London Climate Resilience review.
These events underscore the increasing strain placed on infrastructure by extreme temperatures. The demand for both heating and cooling in response to these extremes creates significant pressure on energy networks (as highlighted by the MIT Climate Portal), with regions previously experiencing natural overnight cooling now requiring energy-intensive cooling systems. This translates to increased grid demand for those who can afford it and elevated mortality rates for those in regions with extreme wet-bulb temperatures who lack access to such resources.
In the face of this complex reality, it is crucial to cultivate as leaders a more-thoughtful approach to our own actions, and those who we influence. We must acknowledge the perceived frenetic pace of life and respond, creating space for reflection between stimulus and response (see Viktor Frankl).
This ‘liminal zone’ should be used to consider the broader implications of our advice to governments, businesses, families, and friends. It also influences our interpersonal interactions, encouraging us to prioritize meaningful connection through direct communication, such as phone calls or video conferencing, rather than relying solely on abbreviated digital forms like emojis, autocomplete, or generative text.
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With thanks to guest writer: Dr Frederick Levy FICE