The quote draws a sharp contrast between two kinds of speed: the relentless pace of machines and the deliberative pace of human decision-making. Machines excel at repetition, optimization, and scale, so their “tempo” naturally accelerates toward maximum throughput. In that sense, efficiency becomes not just a goal but the default setting of automated systems.
Yet the second half reminds us that societies do not move at the speed of processing power. Human institutions—courts, legislatures, professional standards, and even workplace norms—advance through debate, negotiation, and consensus. The result is a persistent mismatch: technology sprints while governance walks, and that gap becomes the central tension of the digital age. [...]
