Fast....Walk FAST!

One of the interesting things I have noticed upon arriving in London about six months ago was how Londoners walk. FAST! Is the word to define the walking pace of Londoners for it seems everyone is on coffee rush therefore everyone walks FAST in this city. Now I am beginning to understand the constructions of why city dwellers like Londoners are always on a rush.

With regards with Mark Fisher’s brief but concise lecture and discussion, he particularly pointed out how capitalism has socially constructed a norm wherein everything is geared towards being and needing to be FAST! Fast production means more commodities out for the market. This creates service which needs to be FAST as well. Fast pace of life in order for everyone to have fast access of goods and services and as a reward of having a FAST pace of work is to take part of the ever FAST growing (?) middle class. What a privilege many would say which I personally think is banal.

Capitalism has created the FAST pace mentality and what we internalise is the constant bombardment of anxiety. No wonder mental health is one of the critical issues that England is facing at the moment. This seems to be deemed acceptable and normal because everyone is in a state of anxiety. If we are not busy we might be deemed lousy or lazy. Even when going on holiday a lot of us feel the need to be doing something, anything, and when we STOP, anxiety builds up to the point of choking. Work hard party harder is the life theme of this generation. How sad.

This essay does not aim to criticise Londoners, it is my honest observation of the mentality that this (or any) city creates. The demand to have a fast pace of life in observance of capitalism is something that I now see. I was slowly sucked into the vortex of FAST PACE WALKING and thankfully I woke up and realise……NO! I will have a leisurely walk instead. I’d rather walk among the living then be part of the zombies which Mark wittingly points out:

‘Capital is an abstract parasite, an insatiable vampire, and zombie maker; but the living flesh it converts into dead labor is ours, and the zombie it makes is us.’ (Fisher, M., 2009. p.15)

 Being critical with society can be very liberating!