History & CultureMental model
Longue durée: reading history at three speeds.
In 1949, the French historian Fernand Braudel distinguished three layers of time: events like battles and elections, the decade-long waves of prices and population, and the 'long duration' of centuries in which climate, geography and mentalities operate. His thesis: the headlines are only foam on the surface; the deep currents decide what is possible.
Useful: When the news overwhelms you, ask which layer is actually moving: the event, the cycle or the structure.
Source: en.wikipedia.org