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Slow Knowledge

withdrawing, escapism

One of the main problems of today’s global society is a sense of anxiety, or frustration because one may feel that he or she is constantly under pressure to fulfill the expectations of how to live and do things. In the midst of a sea of information flooding us every day through the internet and social media, one might feel fragile. Internet, social media might get us to compare ourselves to others, or compete with the world, which might result in a willingness to escape. 

Escaping however is not necessarily a defense reaction to cut off from the toxic world around us, to protect oneself from stress and anxiety. On the contrary, it might be a willingness, striving, and proactive choice to build one’s own “better” world, to successfully steer one’s own mini-universe.  

From this perspective, escapism can be seen as an attempt to work on a balanced life, embracing oneself and one’s own well-being. Escapism can take radical forms, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be radical. It may manifest in daily life as slowing down, focusing on one’s thought, or as a meditative element in life which allows us to find balance – for instance in the form of a long walk.