Tag Archives: consciousness

Consciousness and Time

The fleeting nature of time serves as an adversary for nearly all living beings. In the wild, a grazing rabbit cannot linger too long without risking becoming prey. Similarly, a predator in the wild must act swiftly; hesitation allows its quarry to take sudden notice and escape. The passage of time establishes a natural sense of urgency in most living beings, forcing animals to be in a perpetual race to act quickly and efficiently for survival.* And, over the long term, time manifests a more sinister property of gradually pushing life into decay—bodies eventually weaken, and, unfortunately, life diminishes. In this context, one might assert that time inherently carries the essence of a silent adversary for all living beings over the long term. However, as human beings, somewhere along the line in the depths of our past, our hunter and gatherer ancestors have redefined their relationship with time by developing consciousness and the ability to contemplate on the future with the understanding of the nature of time. Through the development of our conscious faculties, we have somehow transformed time from a full adversary into a partial ally when needed. We are the only living beings on Earth capable of harnessing the passage of time to our advantage when we want to. Humans possess the unique ability to sit, reflect, and strategize, using time as a tool to solve problems. Our capacity for imagination and the willingness to learn through trial and error enabled us to approach challenges with patience and foresight, transforming the passage of time into a powerful resource for survival, growth, and advancement when needed.

Image 1: Diego Velázquez, The Waterseller of Seville, 1618-22, oil on canvas, 105 x 80 cm (Apsley House, London, England)
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