Thread by @designoutloud

Thinking about the conveniences of life that become constraints.

- measuring time
- prepared food
- credit
- exercise separate from work
- pithy ways to share deep thoughts

Removing simple effort often creates the need for complex effort.

A conundrum of sorts. We generally automatically equate "easier" or "faster" and "progress". Often that' true only in the immediate context. Our quest for ease and speed blinds us to collateral regression.

Progress can make things easier & faster. At its best, though, progress makes things better. "Better" includes consequential impact beyond the immediate context, even if hard to imagine at the time.

Hard, but fortunately we have lots of examples to learn from in hindsight.

"Progress" that I have embraced and feels less wise now:

- more communication channels
- more in-home and on-the-go entertainment choices
- more content channels
- easier digital connections
- more and more specialized digital tools
- endless configuration abilities

This isn't resisting change or newness. I believe strongly in adaptability & growth as key life traits. Nor about the tyranny of choice. I like options, when trade-offs are meaningful between them.

This is about embracing difference and newness with wisdom that seeks significant and appropriately distributed benefit versus localized and limited gain.