Gabe Bullard, author of Against Convenience, argues that many everyday conveniences either fail to save what they promise or remove forms of friction that made life more satisfying. This brief summarizes the podcast conversation on where convenience helps and where it hurts, plus practical questions to decide which conveniences to keep.
Friction can be valuable: small inconveniences sometimes preserve social contact, skill, or meaning.
Ask concrete questions about a convenience’s trade-offs before adopting it.
Intentionally reintroducing select friction can improve satisfaction and reduce stress.
# Overview
# What's the problem with convenience? Bullard's central point is twofold. First, many innovations that advertise time, money, or energy savings don't deliver those benefits in the ways we expect. Second, even when they provide efficiencies, they can eliminate everyday frictions—moments of delay, small interactions, or tasks—that previously added value, meaning, or social connection to our lives.
Examples discussed on the show include:
# Practical framework for choosing conveniences Bullard offers a question-driven approach to decide whether to adopt or keep a convenience. Use concrete, practical questions rather than abstract ideals:
# When to add friction back The conversation stresses that reintroducing friction can be deliberate and selective. Examples include choosing to check out with a person at a store to support local workers and preserve human connection, or leaving a smartphone in a pocket during conversations or outings to focus on presence. The goal is not to reject all efficiency but to align convenience choices with how you want to spend time, attention, and money.
# Takeaway actions for readers
# Context and source Host: Brett McKay. Producer: Kate McKay. Guest: Gabe Bullard, author of Against Convenience. Episode published September 29, 2026, on The Art of Manliness podcast (Episode 1,135).
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