How To Be Human, by Sarah K Peck

How To Be Human, by Sarah K Peck

How We Think

Why do cars have brakes?

On restraint, boundaries, and the paradox of limitlessness.

Sarah K Peck's avatar
Sarah K Peck
Feb 12, 2025

Why do cars have brakes?

To stop, right?

To stop. That’s one answer.

Is there another answer? I heard this on the radio recently, and I jotted it down in my mental notebook.

Here’s the real reason that cars have brakes:

Cars have brakes so they can go fast.

Without brakes, we’d all drive very, very slowly. We would need extended space to slow down, clever wa…

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