It is an ironic habit of human beings to run faster when they have lost their way.

May’s remark captures a familiar psychological pattern: when people feel disoriented—morally, vocationally, or existentially—they often respond by accelerating activity rather than pausing to reorient. The “irony” is that speed can substitute for direction; busyness becomes a defense against anxiety, doubt, or the fear of meaninglessness. In an existential-psychological frame associated with May, the line warns that frantic striving (more work, more goals, more stimulation) may deepen alienation if it is not grounded in chosen values and self-understanding. The quote thus functions as a critique of compulsive productivity and a call to stop, reflect, and recover a sense of purpose before pressing forward.