Walk-Deprived
Taleb argues that modern habits undervalue leisurely walking. He speculates that it may be as necessary as sleep while explicitly acknowledging that this comparison is uncertain.
THE IDEA
Walk-Deprived
Another source of harm from naive rationalism. Just as for a long time people tried to shorten their sleep, as it seemed useless to our earthling logic, many people think that walking is useless, so they use mechanical transportation (car, bicycle, etc.) and get their exercise working out at the gym. And when they walk, they do this ignominious “power walk,” sometimes with weights on their arms. They do not realize that for reasons still opaque to them, walking effortlessly, at a pace below the stress level, can have some benefits—or, as I speculate, is necessary for humans, perhaps as necessary as sleep, which at some point modernity could not rationalize and tried to reduce. Now it may or may not be true that walking effortlessly is as necessary as sleep, but since all my ancestors until the advent of the automobile spent much of their time walking around (and sleeping), I try to just follow the logic, even before some medical journal catches up to the idea and produces what referees of medical journals call “evidence.”
When to use it
When planning your daily schedule, consider setting aside time for a slow, aimless walk.
Instead of driving to a nearby store, choose to walk even if it seems inefficient.
Evaluate exercise routines to include low-stress walking, not just intense workouts.
When feeling mentally clouded, try an effortless walk to see if it restores clarity.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Power walk vs. effortless walk
Taleb contrasts weighted power walking with an effortless stroll and speculates about the value of the latter. The passage does not establish that strolling is more beneficial than other forms of exercise.
Mechanical transportation in modern life
Taleb observes that people may replace walking with cars or bicycles and then exercise at a gym. He questions whether this overlooks benefits of ordinary walking.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
How might you incorporate more effortless walking into your daily routine?
Are there activities you dismiss as useless? What reasons or evidence support that judgment?
What familiar activities might be undervalued, and how would you investigate their benefits?
Often confused with
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Antifragile (Nassim Nicholas Taleb)