A world in a grain of sand - When telegraphs and trains brought in the idea that convenience was more important than content — and speedier means could make up for unimproved ends — Henry David Thoreau reminded us that “the man whose horse trots a mile in a minute does not carry the most important messages.” ... We have more and more ways to communicate, as Thoreau noted, but less and less to say... And we’re rushing to meet so many deadlines that we hardly register that what we need most are lifelines.