Stelter liberally quotes Byung Chul Han in his 2017 book titled "The scent of time: a philosophical essay on the art of living." He asserts that our attachment to the vita activa turns us into an animal laborans (active lives make us laboring animals), robbing us of the capacity to linger, to contemplate and experience time as fulfilling.
Today’s hyperactivity, overcommunication and multitasking sap our time for reflection. Our culture’s focus on individual achievement makes self-criticism and self-doubt constant companions. Instead of mental well-being, we end up with burnout and stress, a mental meltdown.
In this time of whizzing, there is no time to appreciate what is meaningful and valuable. We are losing the scent of time.