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The primary contention is that the media suggest we treat every experience as significant, have as many experiences as possible during our lives, including many at the same time, expend maximum effort at all times, and act at all times with high degrees of focus and intensity. Events in our lives, from getting a speeding ticket to the birth of a child, are treated by the media as highly significant. We allegedly move through our days with speed, cutting and pasting, managing events that vie for our attention at the same volume.

Every path in life must be taken decisively—with enough photos taken of each stop along the way to create a lasting record. We are to be passionate about our jobs, our families, our country, our dogs, our cats, our hobbies, the state of our homes and our apartments, the condition of our yards—all of the choices we make, no matter how insignificant. More than that, though, we’re passionate about being passionate. We achieve solely so that we can become better at achieving. The subjects of our passion are not as important as developing and honing our ability to achieve them, or acquire them, or learn them, passionately. We have to be "on," focused, "in the zone," "on message"—ready to do rhetorical battle at all times, ready to mount an achievement charge at a moment’s notice. There is no room not only for slackers, but for those who don’t take life seriously every waking moment. And if you are a slacker, you have to "slack" with commodified style and flair. It’s not enough to do something well enough. And forget failure. Every moment in every aspect of our lives is treated as significant.

—adapted from the Introduction