“In this century, we will end diseases, but rushing will kill us.” This quote by Marañón reminds me that we live in a society where we are all in a hurry. We walk down the street or on the bus, checking our phones, not noticing the many details that make life more human and kind. We rush, not just to catch the bus, but for everything. If you observe the people you pass on the street or the bus, you will see that they look in a hurry, so we don’t know how to enjoy serene contemplation, the beauty that surrounds us, a few flowers, the blue sky, or simply the light of day or the darkness of night.

Why are we in such a hurry? It seems like we have to do more and more things, thinking that this frenetic activity will make us feel happier or earn more money. Time flies. It slips through our fingers. Many people notice they’re rushing, but they don’t know where they want to go. They don’t have clear goals in their lives. They lack meaning in what they do, in their professional activity, and their lives. It’s impossible to achieve happiness this way.

Surely, this rush is fueled by little thought. Thinking is stopping to think, says a philosopher friend. In a rush, it’s very difficult to think and reflect. Our behavior must be guided primarily by intelligence and willpower, not just by emotions and feelings. We live in an emotivist society.

The main reasons behind our lifestyles are emotional and sentimental, and this is clearly reflected in our consumer behavior: we buy on a whim, because something appeals to me, because of its color, its packaging, because it’s on sale, or simply because we feel like it. This consumerist and individualistic lifestyle is often illogical, as there is no reasoning, reflection, or thought, nor is there any assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of different purchasing options.

The importance of emotions in our actions is being exploited by Emotional Marketing and Advertising. To motivate purchases, they emphasize emotions, feelings, and what they know as motivation, thereby eliminating rational behavior. We become easily manipulated. We rush and don’t think. You could say we’re like a headless chicken. Cut off a chicken’s head, and it keeps running… but without a head.

Since I’m in no hurry, if you write to me at:  [email protected], I’ll send you some interesting things about manipulation.