What is time? And why do we always feel like we're running out of time?
Countless scientists have worked on the question of time, from both the physical and psychological points of view. And yet no one has yet been able to answer the question. Or has it?
The writer Thomas Mann describes time in the following way in his book "The Magic Mountain":
"What is time? A secret, immaterial and powerful. A condition of the world of appearances, a movement, which associates and mixes the existence of the body with space and its movements. But would time still exist if movement were to disappear? No movement, no time? Ask yourself! Does time depend on space? Or is it the other way round? Or are they identical? More questions!"
This leads more to confusion than explanation, because in my opinion, these lines raise more questions than answers. Albert Einstein addressed this question in a scientific way and thus established the theory of relativity. As I understand it, this theory explains that the faster we move, the slower time passes. This video (in German) provides us with a simple, brief explanation of exactly what Einstein's theory of relativity is:
Still as confused as before? Or even more so? Albert Einstein has the perfect quote in this case: "Time is what the watch shows". So don't worry too much about it. I don't see it very clearly myself. 😀
Time arrow
Let's move on to something simpler, the arrow of time. Every one of you must have heard of it or even glimpsed it, however vaguely. The arrow of time basically explains to us that time is linear. There is a past, a present and a future.
Time, as you know, represents the fourth dimension. While you can go backwards and forwards in the first three, time always only goes in one direction. Forward. The shell of a raw egg will be broken if it falls and breaks. Forever. It makes little sense to think that a broken egg could return to its original shape, because that is highly unlikely. But it would still be theoretically possible, since it has never been verified. (Reflection pause from the author) - This is starting to go a bit too far for my liking. I've lost myself in a subject from which I can no longer get out. That's why → next chapter 😄
Why are we always running out of time?
The calendar is overbooked and the next five weekends are already planned. Nevertheless, you'd still like to free up some time for yourself or your hobby. How do you go about it?
The problem is not that we have too little time, but rather that we use the time we do have poorly. We live in a hyper-stimulated world and can never do everything we set out to do. The difficulty lies in knowing how to prioritise correctly. It's difficult to understand what we really want and what may be less important. But it's even harder to stick to those priorities and impose your will. I've created a list of my personal examples to help you get more time without a hitch. Just follow these few tips:
- plan well
- set yourself goals
- reduce interruptions
- keep a to-do list
- learn to delegate
- try to say "no" from time to time
- become a machine
- learn to travel in time
- don't feed on anything but the sun's rays
Nothing will ever go wrong again if you follow all these tips. You'll have your life in your own hands and never have to worry about the time you have.
But still, don't beat yourself up too much about it. Thanks to the "Per Anhalter durch die Galaxis" (Galactic Traveller's Guide), we know the answer to THE all-important question. 42!
Riding my motorbike makes me feel free, fishing brings out my inner hunter, using my camera gets me creative. I make my money messing around with toys all day.