The Lie of Optimization

Everything must be faster. Everything must be better. We are obsessed with efficiency. We treat our bodies like machines. We track our sleep. We track our steps. We track our calories. We have become managers of our own lives. But where is the joy? You cannot optimize a sunset. You cannot quantify a laugh. The system demands we be productive units. We are cogs in a giant engine. If we stop moving, we are replaced. So we run faster. We optimize our breakfast. We optimize our commute. We optimize our downtime. It is a sickness. We are optimizing ourselves into extinction. The best moments of life are the ones that were not on the schedule. The messy moments. The surprise interruptions. That is where life happens. Throw away the spreadsheet. Live inefficiently.