#109 - My Train Already Left
- Adam Pawel Pietruszewski
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
"Let's have some resilient fun" shows some important topics in a more relaxed and joyful way. After all, humour is quoted as a desirable characteristic of resilient individuals like us!
My Train Already Left
Last weekend I went to the grocery shop, picked up a few items, and approached the cashier. There was an older man already there, but he turned to me and said:
“Go ahead, I’m not in a hurry. My train already left.”
I looked at him, surprised—there are no trains in that town. He saw my confusion and added:
“I used to hurry up a lot. Then I aged.”
I was unexpectedly moved by that moment. His words stayed with me.
It made me think about how constant rush has become so normal, so inevitable, that we rarely consider any other way of moving through life. But when we’re always in a hurry, what are we missing?
Thinking is slow. Noticing is slow. Appreciation takes time. So why are we so quick to race ahead?
Brain Automation
We are wired for activity. Action bias is one of the most common cognitive tendencies we share as humans [1].
It’s easy to see why: in our evolutionary past, those who acted—who explored, hunted, tried—often survived. This drive became embedded in our cultures, too: “Lady Luck prefers the ones who try!” “Do something.” “Don’t just sit there.”
But in today’s fast-moving, ambiguous world, action isn’t always the best response. Many signals we receive are misleading, and jumping into motion can amplify rather than solve the problem.
As Blaise Pascal famously wrote:
"All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone." [1]
When we rush, we rely more on our brain’s fast, automatic system—what Kahneman calls System 1. It operates with little effort and no sense of voluntary control [2]. This system is useful for avoiding danger or making routine decisions quickly. But it’s also the main source of our cognitive biases and errors.
When something important needs our attention—especially in moments of uncertainty or change—we benefit from slowing down. This helps activate System 2, the slower, more deliberate mode of thinking. It’s the system we need for reflection, analysis, and learning.
This is one reason why attention training is increasingly valued as a way to improve judgment. Interestingly, it may be even more important than intelligence in this regard [2]. A highly intelligent person who is impatient may make poorer decisions than someone less intelligent but more able to pause and notice.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is often praised as a tool for emotional regulation, clarity, and wellbeing [3].
One reason might be that it slows us down. It disrupts automaticity. It invites us to notice more vividly what’s already present.
That simple shift—to sit, to notice, to allow—can be powerful. Not because it changes everything, but because it helps us see more clearly.
Of course, we all have times when rushing is necessary. There are moments in life when sitting still is not an option. But when we do have the choice, it’s worth making space to slow down and notice the journey—before we race to catch the next train.
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A very deep topic. I belive each of us should learn and from at least time to time take a moment for reflection and slow down. But it is difficult - current way of life enforces speed, and more speed and more speed. I hope more and more people will come to a conclusion which is clear in your article - slower doesn't mean worse - opposite. We are to do it wise.