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The slow death of purposeless walking

bbc.co.uk

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Re: The slow death of purposeless walking

#51

Post by mister_m »

CognitiveLens wrote: post #15

This is a strange article, because its content reads like anecdotal (European/Western) history combined with generic self-help advice. There is no evidence presented that people are "walking without purpose" less now than they used to - it seems to me that 17% of walks being "just to walk" is actually a fairly high percentage, but there's no point of comparison. Although people probably walk less now because we have…

Additionally, walking around aimlessly in the city where I live, a lot of the time, is simply not a safe thing to be doing. While the article mentions some differences between our world, and the world of the creative thinkers, it leaves out to a certain extent that a lot of people live in densely populated cities with minimal access to green space. If I wanted to go for an aimless walk in the woods, I'd have to drive to the suburbs and find a forest preserve.

Re: The slow death of purposeless walking

#52

Post by prestadige »

saalweachter wrote: post #47
ronancremin wrote: post #45

Worth remembering the Yogi Berra quote: "Not all who wander are lost." I think he meant it more generally than just walking around, but a nice reminder nonetheless.

... Isn't that a line from a Tolkien poem?

All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.

(from 'The Fellowship of the Ring'.)

Re: The slow death of purposeless walking

#53

Post by disdev »

It's a bit difficult where I am (semi-rural)... busy roads, no sidewalks, dogs without leashes (pitbull attacks are too frequent).

But, I do the same with running. I drive to nearby trails most every day. And for the family, we do short backpacking trips with no real goal. Just hike a few miles out to a campsite, hang out, read, cook, play around, and then head home the next evening. My kids are young (7 and 12), and I think it does them a lot of good to be able to cover some distance and pack things in and out on their own.

Re: The slow death of purposeless walking

#56

Post by personlurking »

In Brazil, around the 1920s and for the next few decades, there was a popular activity called "footing" (an obvious anglicism), but it had a purpose. From a Brazilian text I found,

"Footing, coming from the English "to go on foot", happened principally in small cities. Girls would put on their best dress and go out to walk with a clear goal: to be observed by the guys, equally well-dressed."

Coincidentally, I lived in a very small town in Brazil several years ago and this is what they did on Friday and Saturday nights. There was a single, small town square where it happened. On one occasion where I asked a young woman out (in her 20s), this is where we went. All was fine until I looked 10 steps behind us to notice several older people seemingly following us. When I brought it to her attention, she nonchalantly said, "oh, that's my father, mother, uncle and grandmother."

Re: The slow death of purposeless walking

#57

Post by hrkristian »

phea wrote: post #46
pessimizer wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

17% seems like a really high percentage, actually. Also, without reading the linked study, I can't figure out whether it's 17% of all trips, or 17% of all walking trips that are "just to walk." If one out of five trips are for aimless relaxation, that sounds absurdly high. If you're comparing the average survey respondent to your average independently wealthy 19th century author, there's a few pretty obvious reasons…

The 17% figure also includes dog walking. For myself, the midnight walks with my dog have been very rewarding. Giving me time to think about things and reflect on the day. Although there are a good number of dog owners who see walking their dog as a chore, which is not the right attitude to have for being mindful.

Walking our dog always felt like a chore growing up. I'd attribute it to being young, but it's now many years later, they have a new dog (both dalmatians) and walking him when visiting is still a chore.

He's either on a leash (by law) pulling relentlessly, or he's free, needing vigilant watch. It's perfectly doable having him walk next to you, but he's still stressing out at everything and it seeps into your bones.

Might be many would benefit from taking walks like you do, I run instead, no patience for walking, but I probably should if only for the benefit of learning to be more patient.

The idea of doing something so unproductive and slow is really hard to get over, though.

Re: The slow death of purposeless walking

#58

Post by oh_sigh »

edw519 wrote: post #14

Reminds me of a friend's response when her doctor asked if she exercised. She said, "On purpose?" I understand her. As a busy person, nothing is more boring and time consuming than exercising "on purpose". I ride my bike everywhere, always use the stairs, do my own cleaning, laundry, groceries, and cooking, and constantly jump to conclusions. That oughta be enough.

President Obama finds time to devote to exercise multiple times per week - I'm sure you and every other "busy" person can do that too if you really wanted to.

Re: The slow death of purposeless walking

#59

Post by timjahn »

disdev wrote: post #53

It's a bit difficult where I am (semi-rural)... busy roads, no sidewalks, dogs without leashes (pitbull attacks are too frequent). But, I do the same with running. I drive to nearby trails most every day. And for the family, we do short backpacking trips with no real goal. Just hike a few miles out to a campsite, hang out, read, cook, play around, and then head home the next evening. My kids are young (7 and 12), and…

"Just hike a few miles out to a campsite, hang out, read, cook, play around, and then head home the next evening. My kids are young (7 and 12), and I think it does them a lot of good to be able to cover some distance and pack things in and out on their own."

That's great. There's nothing like getting out in the outdoors, camping, and just living a little bit. No real "purpose" other than to experience the nature around you. Kudos to you.

Re: The slow death of purposeless walking

#60

Post by prestadige »

themoonbus wrote: post #39

As some one who currently works from home, a "purposeless" walk is how I start and end my work day – I think of it as my "commute". Walking clears my head, gets me outside for a bit, and helps me separate my home life from my work life. For me, those walks might not be a necessity, but they are definitely not without purpose.

Yes, the paradox is that daydreaming and apparent purposelessness are, in the long run, about the most important things that get done. Or at least the beginning of the most important things: things which eventually become more active and purposeful.

e.g. Peter Higgs was walking in Scotland when he thought of first thought of his boson.

I do feel that the article is somewhat strident (ho ho). The only rule about wandering (and wondering) is that there are no rules or proscriptions. In contravention of the third bullet point I often listen to audio on walks, turning it on and off at whim.

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