Tick Tock
It only moves clockwise, but it goes forward in an iterative process by going back to the same numbers.
A new day with a new date unfolds through the old cycle.
Indeed, it is only through Time that time is defied –
Or, better yet, transcended? :)
The litany of complaints on recurrent problems reverberate louder as the year ends. When previous New Year's resolutions are not achieved, we feel like a clock that goes around in circles – stuck in the same situation and routine. The horrifying thought of doing the same old same old could lead to a defeatist mentality. Thoreau in Walden also claimed, "I have been anxious to improve the nick of time… to stand on the meeting of two eternities, the past and future, which is precisely the present moment; to toe that line."
We could be envious of our ancestors who are free from the constraints of horology. When clocks were not yet invented, the passage of each day is only measured through the movement of sun, moon, and stars. When time zones were not yet synchronized, each city and town could have its own local time; it could be 9:00 in Town A, 9:30 in Town B, and 10:00 in Town C. There was minimal pressure to be on time. However, as clocks become more systematized, we acquiesced to tie our goals and achievements to the relentless cyclical process of seconds, minutes, hours, days, years, and more.
Time is fluid. The clock is rigid. The former is more forgiving while the latter has no mercy.
Is it possible to reap the benefits of both time fluidity and clock rigidity when planning for resolutions? Is there a way to make time count without constantly counting? Can the past, present, and future be managed effectively without the anxiety experienced by Thoreau?
In the same way that ancient Greeks have many words for love, they have also created two for time: Chronos and Kairos. The difference lies between a second and a moment. The concept of time is not only restricted to numbers in the clock.
Chronos refers to temporal continuity while Kairos is used to describe temporal opportunity.
| - Chronological, linear, sequential time | - Right, appropriate, opportune time |
| - Constantly ticking, irreversible | - Eternally destined |
| - Getting things done (Ex. meeting deadlines, ticking off to-do lists, scheduling appointments) | - Seizing opportunities (Ex. best time to live one's purpose, to be memorable, and to leave a legacy) |
| - Productive | - Timely |
Writers of the New Testament in the Bible also used these two Greek words to calculate time.***
| Matthew 2:7 (ERV). Then Herod had a private meeting with the wise men from the east. He learned from them the exact time when they first saw the star. | Mark 1:15 (ERV). He said, "The right time is now here. God's kingdom is very near. Change your hearts and lives, and believe the Good News!" |
| Luke 20:9 (ERV). Then Jesus told the people this story: "A man planted a vineyard. He leased the land to some farmers. Then he went away for a long time." | John 7:8 (ERV). So you go to the festival. I will not go now, because the right time for me has not yet come. |
Thus, Chronos is more familiar to our modern capitalist era, as it measures time through duration. Kairos is only intelligible for hopeless romantics who are waiting to be at the right place in the right time with the right person. Ha!
In planning for resolutions, the ancient Greeks will not be satisfied in asking "What shall be done?" They will also ask "Is it the right time for this?" The important will not be upended at the expense of what is urgent. Chronos can effectively organize the amount of time to get things done, but Kairos can meticulously evaluate the essence of all tasks. The former consumes time while the latter serves time.
If there is a report due for tomorrow at work, and the Chronos time of 9:00-13:00 has been devoted to prepare for it, will it be the Kairos time to refine it till dusk if exhaustion is already hitting?
If there is a layover in a beautiful country at the Chronos time of 13:00-15:00, will it be the Kairos time to post endlessly in social media?
If there is an offer of a decent job promotion and relocation to a better country in the Chronos time of next month, will it be the Kairos time to accept it when COVID-19 cases is higher there?
Chronos has long been mastered. Kairos is begging for attention. The endless opportunities that lie in each moment are screaming as we make the most out of each second.
Transcending Time = Dancing with Doing and Being
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