Reflection in our daily lives

What is it in our urban, modern lives that seems to discourage personal reflection and contemplation?
Or is this question a relevant one to ask? I'll assume it is for now.

He sat down at about 5 in the afternoon and removed the packet of balsamic vinegar from the plastic bowl. He rips apart the technology and pours the sour liquid into his bowl of vacuum-packed salad. He claims it is his 'afternoon snack'. He then invites us both to sit down and join him contemplate about life.

Pak contemplating at the kelong, Tanjung Pinang

I look out the 9th floor window and see that its raining.

At about this time daily, his mind steps away from work on its own and contemplates about life. It reminds me of monastic monks stepping away from the cloisters to mumble a prayer. As he absent-mindedly munches on the oxymoron of instant salad, he asks what would we do if we were told we had half an hour to live before the world ended.

His response of wanting to throw his enemies off the 9th floor is not relevant to our conversation here. But how many of us are as disciplined as he about contemplating life like he does, daily? The Jesuit monks do, and have been doing so since St Ignatius. Surely, there is some benefits from doing the daily Examen of consciousness and life. Yet if its good for us, how come the majority of us don't do it?
We shower daily, or at least I do ever since coming back to live in a tropical country. We do so to keep clean, to prevent a build up of dirt lest we become filthy. We do so instinctively. Yet when it comes to contemplation and reflection, we hardly do it weekly despite it sharing a very similar analogy to daily showers. We ignore contemplation till the woes and toils of daily urban modern life build up until it becomes unbearable.

One symptom of this unbearable build-up is when suddenly we ask ourselves questions such as 'when did my passion become merely a job?' or ,what am i doing with my life?'. Such a possible but not necessary symptoms. A friend recently exhibited such symptoms and it pains me. It pains me because it could have been prevented. And these things happen even to good, smart people.
To be fair, daily contemplation alone is not the encompassing solution. But its a good start no? Surely its a good thing no? I'm rambling.

So what do you think are the things in modern urban lives that discourages us from contemplating our lives? Tell me, tell me.

 reflecting, tanjung pinang