The Nature of Time

Time has always been the most fascinating element of the human experience to me and so many others. What exactly is the nature of time?

The concept of time has been debated and examined by scientists, philosophers, authors, musicians, poets and everyday people like me and you ever since the human race developed the luxury of thinking about other things beyond basic survival needs.

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith’s musical masterpiece “Dream On” sings “I know, nobody knows, where it comes and where it goes…” is relevant because it strikes at the heart of the human condition, the relentless passage of time.

We all know intellectually that time passes by, whether we like it or not. We are born, we live and we die, is a short summary of everybody’s lives.

For most people, every day is a mad scramble to get everything done in the time we have allotted for each individual day of the week. Going to work or classes, getting the younger kids ready for school, commuting, going to meetings, being a soccer mom or dad, shopping for groceries, and medical appointments all take time.

Maybe even squeezing in some time for some actual socializing by going out for a drink or coffee with friends. Using social media, or even just staying home and watching tv all take time.

We have all had those kinds of days that whip by so fast, that we are barely conscious of the passage of time. We do whatever tasks we are allotted, come home, eat dinner and fall into bed exhausted.

And as our heads search for the cool side of the pillow, we know in that last moment of daily consciousness we will have to do it all again tomorrow.

The expression “Time flies when you’re having fun” is well known, as is the addendum “Even if you’re not.” Both are equally valid expressions of acceptance and frustration that time is the one thing we have no control over.

Time for most people is measured out in a whirling, spinning kaleidoscopic barrage of in-your-face events that seem never-ending and sometimes overwhelming.

Conversely, if you are sick or in a bad situation like being hospitalized or in jail, time can slow down to a solitary tick tock, tick tock dragged out type of existence. Sick people often measure time by how many times a day they see the nurse or doctors tending them. Prisoners talk about “doing time,” just trying to get through each day.

Even some social gatherings, like that type of Thanksgiving where you just can’t wait to get away from that one drunken uncle or obnoxious neighbor can feel excruciatingly slow. Broken down into endlessly segmented intervals of boredom where time just drags. The final school bell is often a tedious, endless wait for students.

We can rationalize about it, we can rail against it, we can just go with the flow and accept it, but the questions and musing about the nature of time persist. It is the one reality all humans share.

Many of us have thought about it but nobody has ever devised a way to control time. To be on top of it. To be the one who is different enough to grasp the very abstract concept of time and its passage and be able to control it even to a small degree. We are all subject to the vagaries of time.

Is it all just a dream, a fevered nightmare, an idyllic permanent vacation? Why do some people hate it and others are in a rapture about the possibilities of each new day? We have so many expressions such as,

“Where does the time go?”

“I just didn’t have enough time.”

“Do you have to go so soon?”

“You just got here.”

“I wish it was the weekend so we can have more time to ourselves.”

“When does my vacation time kick in?”

“Let’s spend more time together.”

We are all obsessed with time in one way or another. It is the one constant we measure our lives by, that regulates our daily routines. That we all share in common.

Rich or poor or anywhere in between, we all must learn to deal with grasping the nature of time and how it affects each and every one of us every day in every way.

Our lives are measured by the change of seasons, by the calendar, by alarm clocks, by the beginning of each new year. Western society especially is obsessed with the concept of time.

We measure our lives by the passage of time. We divide the years into months, the months into weeks, weeks into days, days into hours, hours into minutes, minutes into seconds. It seems like madness to be so preoccupied, to be so tyrannized by time 24/7.

Why? Is there some magical, mysterious way to slow everything down, to be able to enjoy each and every day for the sheer pleasure of waking up each morning? To be able to savor instead of labor, enjoy instead of dread every day? To live our lives to the fullest instead of fearing the passage of each day?

Some cultures do a better job of actually enjoying their time. Eastern philosophers, Pacific Islanders, even some European countries manage their time better. We should learn to be more like them.

But most of Western society is still both obsessed and repelled by the passage of time. The inevitable aging process, the frenzy and fury of our daily lives.

We all know deep inside that we each have a limited life span, a final absolute end of days to deal with on a personal gut level. This is all part of the human condition, and the passage of time is a natural, inevitable process.

In the end, it’s up to each of us to learn how to embrace rather than fight time. It all comes down to perspective.