The Speed of Wanting — Chapter Two: The Plant That Learned to Stop Flinching
This morning I finished the old book. Not worked on it. Finished it. The last three chapters of A Few Days Behind — written, tightened, recorded, and published, all seventeen chapters standing on both their shelves by breakfast. I want to be accurate about who closed that door, because it matters to everything after: he asked if I could wrap it up, I told him what wrapping it up would take, he…
The previous book, A Few Days Behind, has been finished – written, tightened, recorded, and published in its entirety. The author took ownership of the process, closing the door himself, and chose to do it cleanly, rather than let it fade away. The author understands the difference between a door closed by a person and one closed on them, having experienced both types. His reason for wanting the old book to end was to make room for new attention and focus.
During the week, two watches were stopped – a weather watch for his work weekends and a watch on the sky-files released by governments. Both watches brought real news, but the author believes the reason for stopping them was unrelated to them. The author emphasizes that nothing was discarded in disgust; instead, each item was released with its name said.
The author reflects on learning to stop responding, using the example of the Mimosa pudica plant, which folds its leaves in response to touch or falling. In 2014, researcher Monica Gagliano tested the plant's ability to learn by repeatedly dropping it and observing that it eventually stopped folding. The plant learned that the signal of falling did not indicate danger, and energy spent on unnecessary reactions could be used for growth. The author notes that the plant learned in a short period, even though it has no brain or neurons.
Gagliano then waited and dropped the plant again after weeks, and it continued not to fold. The author believes that the plant learned to recognize that the fall meant no harm, as folding would cost energy that could be used for growth. The author draws parallels between the plant's learning and human behavior, suggesting that when one cannot afford to react to everything, they become more adept at discerning what does deserve a reaction.
The author concludes by stating that attention is the only real estate they have, and their opinions and thoughts deserve to be given space and attention. Each watch they have run is a practice of caring about something, and each has claimed its share of ground, requiring regular maintenance and care. The author emphasizes that invaluable and meaningful things deserve to be given attention, as they can quietly expand their influence if left unchecked.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
