The Serenity Experiment: Searching for Personal Peace in a World That Won’t Slow Down

A thought experiment is an instrument of the imagination, employed for many purposes-to entertain, educate, explore, or hypothesize. In response to a pandemic and social unrest, David Howell decided to begin such an experiment. He wanted to see what would happen if he became as serene as possible. He set out regularly on his bicycle to parks near his home just to sit still, eventually ritualizing the activity until it became a habit. The result is The Serenity Experiment, a book of reflections on the impact serenity can have on the self as it relates to surroundings and community.