Add Friction Back Into Your Life
I’ve recently talked about moving back to analog forms of media, and just doing things “the hard way.” In retrospect I think a better term and concept would be “friction.”
We live in an age of hyper-convenience, where at the snap of a finger you can have almost anything shipped to your door, listen to any song, watch any movie, even create images and code with a single prompt. Daily chores like grocery shopping have been replaced with getting it delivered to your door, and of course we’re building robots to take care of the laundry.
The unsettling truth is that these points of friction, these mundane things, are actually what give us purpose. My kids and I watched Megamind for our movie night this weekend and early on in the story the super villain to much disbelief conquers his nemesis. He gets everything we wants. Without the friction, the striving towards a goal, he actually doesn’t have anything to live for.
I’m not going to argue against all forms of convenience or technological advancements. I have many people on my life, including my wife, that would probably not be alive without the progress of medical science. I’m also thankful for technology that promises a more sustainable way of living or a future that helps liberate people under oppression. As with anything in this complicated life, there is nuance.
However, once I started viewing my life through the lens of friction and convenience, I couldn't go back. Did I really need those groceries delivered, or would have it been better to go outside and interact with people? Do I really need streaming services when it's way more exciting to resurrect an old CD, vinyl, or DVD? Do I really want to prompt Claude to generate a bunch of spaghetti code or would it be more rewarding to write it myself? Do I really need ChatGPT to think critically about something or would it be better to wrestle with the opinion? Do I really want to drive on an interstate for 2 hours instead of a beautiful background for an extra 30 minutes?
Not all friction is necessary, and convenience can be a great thing, but my fear is that we're giving up all friction without thinking about it. Life is balance, and we need the right kind of friction to give our lives rhythm and purpose.
Get a record player, write a letter to a friend, and see where it takes you.