Carl Honore

Carl Honoré – Life, Work, and Famous Insights


Delve into the life and influence of Carl Honoré (born 1967), the Canadian journalist and author known for In Praise of Slow and his role as a leading voice in the Slow Movement. Learn about his background, philosophy, notable quotes, and the lessons his work offers for modern life.

Introduction

Carl Honoré is best known as the figurehead of the “Slow Movement” — an intellectual and cultural movement that challenges the assumption that faster is always better. Through his journalism, books, speeches, and advocacy, Honoré encourages people to recalibrate their relationship with time: to slow down, savor life, and balance efficiency with depth. His influence spans parenting, education, work culture, aging, and lifestyle design.

Early Life and Education

  • Carl Honoré was born December 29, 1967, in Scotland.

  • Although born in Scotland, he regards Edmonton, Canada as his hometown.

  • He studied History and Italian at the University of Edinburgh.

  • After university, he spent time working with street children in Brazil, which deepened his interest in social issues and eventually inspired his turn to journalism.

Journalism Career & Path to Prominence

  • Honoré’s journalism has taken him across continents. Since 1991, he has reported from Europe and South America.

  • He spent three years as a correspondent in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

  • His writing has appeared in major outlets such as The Economist, The Observer, National Post, Globe and Mail, Houston Chronicle, and Miami Herald.

  • Over time, his focus shifted from general journalism toward exploring cultural, psychological, and philosophical issues around speed, time, and how people live.

Major Works & Ideas

Carl Honoré’s books and public ideas constitute a sort of Slow trilogy followed by expanding themes. Some of his key works and themes:

TitleYearFocus / Contribution
In Praise of Slow: Challenging the Cult of Speed2004The foundational work that critiques our obsession with speed and proposes a more human tempo. Under Pressure: Rescuing Our Children from the Culture of Hyper-Parenting2008Explores how parenting has sped up, pushing children, and suggests more relaxed, less controlling approaches. The Slow Fix: Solve Problems, Work Smarter and Live Better in a Fast World2013Critiques quick fixes and argues for slower, deeper solutions to systemic problems. Bolder: Making the Most of Our Longer Lives2018Looks at aging in a modern world and how slowness can be vital in later life.

Some recurring themes in his philosophy:

  • Balance over speed: Not all things should be slow, but too many things are too fast.

  • Quality over quantity: Doing fewer things but doing them well.

  • Resistance to “speed = progress” mentality: Questioning the assumption that more speed always leads to better outcomes.

  • Slow parenting, slow cities, slow work: Applying the principles of slowness to multiple domains.

Personality, Style & Influence

Honoré is known as a calm, thoughtful, and persuasive communicator. He blends reporting, personal stories, philosophy, and advocacy in a style that resonates across disciplines. His work has influenced:

  • Educators and movements in slow education

  • Parents rethinking high-pressure expectations

  • Corporate and organizational culture seeking sustainable productivity

  • Aging and life planning discussions in an era of longer lifespans

He also speaks frequently at conferences, contributes to public discourse, and maintains a presence through talks, essays, media interviews, and social channels.

Notable Quotes

Here are some of Carl Honoré’s memorable and often-cited lines, illustrating his perspective on time, speed, and life’s rhythms:

“The great benefit of slowing down is reclaiming the time and tranquility to make meaningful connections — with people, with culture, with work, with nature, with our own bodies and minds.”

“By slowing down at the right moments, people find that they do everything better: They eat better; they make love better; they exercise better; they work better; they live better.”

“In this media-drenched, >

“Spending more time with friends and family costs nothing. … Simply resisting the urge to hurry is free.”

“I could be working 300 hours a week. I just say no. The power of slow is the power of no.”

“The time has come to challenge our obsession with doing everything more quickly.”

These quotes reflect his conviction that slowness is not laziness, but intention.

Lessons & Takeaways

From Honoré’s life and work, here are some lessons we can apply:

  1. Reclaim your tempo
    Even in a fast world, you can choose when to slow, when to speed up, and when to rest.

  2. Depth over overdrive
    Doing fewer things with attention and care often yields more satisfaction and better outcomes than chasing multitasking.

  3. Boundaries matter
    Learning the power of saying “no” or resisting the pressure to go faster is a form of agency.

  4. Slow fixes can be more durable
    Quick solutions often mask deeper issues; sometimes a more gradual, thoughtful approach is more sustainable.

  5. Presence is a gift
    Slowing allows us to connect — with others, with ourselves, and with the world — in ways speed often erodes.

Articles by the author

In our fast-forward culture, we have lost the art of eating well. Food is often little more than fuel to pour down the hatch while doing other stuff - surfing the Web, driving, walking along the street. Dining al desko is now the norm in many workplaces. All of this speed takes a toll. Obesity, eating disorders and poor nutrition are rife.

Carl Honore

In this media-drenched, multitasking, always-on age, many of us have forgotten how to unplug and immerse ourselves completely in the moment. We have forgotten how to slow down. Not surprisingly, this fast-forward culture is taking a toll on everything from our diet and health to our work and the environment.

Carl Honore

We're so marinated in the culture of speed that we almost fail to notice the toll it takes on every aspect of our lives - on our health, our diet, our work, our relationships, the environment and our community.

Carl Honore

Aficionados of Slow design and Slow fashion use ethical and green materials to make objects - furniture, clothes, jewellery - that lift the spirit and last a lifetime rather than one catwalk season.

Carl Honore

Our obsession with speed, with cramming more and more into every minute, means that we race through life instead of actually living it. Our health, diet and relationships suffer. We make mistakes at work. We struggle to relax, to enjoy the moment, even to get a decent night's sleep.

Carl Honore

You don't have to work for Google, or any of the other firms encouraging staff to pursue personal projects on company time, to use slowness to unlock your creativity. Anyone can do it. Start by clearing space in your schedule for rest, daydreaming and serendipity. Take breaks away from your desk, especially when you get stuck on a problem.

Carl Honore

Many kids, particularly in lower-income families, would actually benefit from more structured activities. Plenty of children, especially teenagers, thrive on a busy schedule. But just as other trappings of modern childhood, from homework to technology, are subject to the law of diminishing returns, there is a danger of overscheduling the young.

Carl Honore

Everywhere, people are discovering that doing things more slowly often means doing them better and enjoying them more. It means living life instead of rushing through it. You can apply this to everything from food to parenting to work.

Carl Honore

To me, Slow parenting is about bringing balance into the home. Children need to strive and struggle and stretch themselves, but that does not mean childhood should be a race. Slow parents give their children plenty of time and space to explore the world on their own terms.

Carl Honore

Smaller families mean we have more time and money to lavish on each child. Parents are more anxious because small families give them less experience of parenting and put their genetic eggs in fewer baskets.

Carl Honore

Slow parents understand that childrearing should not be a cross between a competitive sport and product-development. It is not a project; it's a journey. Slow parenting is about giving kids lots of love and attention with no conditions attached.

Carl Honore

Slow travel now rivals the fly-to-Barcelona-for-lunch culture. Advocates savour the journey, travelling by train or boat or bicycle, or even on foot, rather than crammed into an airplane. They take time to plug into the local culture instead of racing through a list of tourist traps.

Carl Honore

We know that no algorithm can solve global poverty; no pill can cure a chronic illness; no box of chocolates can mend a broken relationship; no educational DVD can transform a child into a baby Einstein; no drone strike can end a terrorist conflict. Sadly, there is no such thing as 'One Tip to a Flat Stomach.'

Carl Honore