7 Reasons Why Understanding Time as A Social Construction is Important to Your Life
How often do you run from here to there, and back, checking the clock on the wall, in the kitchen, on your wrist, or on your phone? Yep, normal, we all do it, or, rather, have done it.
Time is such an important part of our life. We construct our whole lives, in fact, around it. Yep. Time. When we get up, when we eat, when we work, how we work, when we sleep. All of it.
Yet, time also provides people with tons of stress and anxiety. Really. How often have you said, or heard, or both, there’s just not enough time in the day? Yep. We’ve all said it, say it, and have heard many, or, rather, most people say it.
Phew. It’s tiring. Really.
I remember a time in my life where I was more concerned about what time it was, then about what I was doing with my time. Maybe you can relate?
Either way, time is not what we think it is.
Time is actually socially constructed. Meaning, it doesn’t even really exist, except for that we create it, agree upon it, and as has been aforementioned, organize our lives around it.
A social construction, you ask? Sure. Here you go.
social construct
Pronunciation /ˌsəʊʃl ˈkɒnstrʌkt/
NOUN
A concept or perception of something based on the collective views developed and maintained within a society or social group; a social phenomenon or convention originating within and cultivated by society or a particular social group, as opposed to existing inherently or naturally.
Lexico
There we go.
Now, time, you ask? Well, I think we can all agree upon the definition of time, yet, let’s go ahead and define it anyway. Here you go.
time
Pronunciation /tīm/ /taɪm/
Translate time into Spanish
NOUN
The indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.‘travel through space and time’
1.1 The progress of time as affecting people and things.‘things were getting better as time passed’
1.2 Time or an amount of time as reckoned by a conventional standard.‘it’s eight o’clock Eastern Standard Time’
1.3 The personification of time, typically as an old man with a scythe and hourglass.‘Power began to flow out from Father Time’s scythe.’
Lexico
That’s fun.
Alright, so here’s what we have so far.
A social construction is something that is constructed and agreed upon by a group of people, of which time, as in the continued progress of existence and events as in the past, present, and future, is one. Phew.
You may now ask, well, there is a past, present, and future, therefore time exists. Yet, I would invite you to really think about that. Does the past really exist, or the future for that matter?
Think about what you are doing right now. Does the past exist in the present moment? Does the future? Nope. They don’t.
The only thing that ever really exists is the present moment. Right now; and, then right now, and now. That’s it.
Therefore time is in many ways irrelevant, an illusion actually. Yet, we continue to create our whole lives around it. Pretty powerful.
You may now be saying. Okay. Fine. Yet, why is understanding time as a social construction important? Very well.
Let’s take a look at
7 Reasons Why Understanding Time as A Social Construction is Important to Your Life
1. Increased Flexibility
When we hold time as a social construct, we are more flexible because we understand that there is an infinite amount of time to do all that we’d like to do. Really.
We become more flexible as we continue to consider time as something that we can choose to release ourselves from. We know at a different level that, yes, we need to move our work and lives forward, however, we also know that there is plenty of time to do so.
2. Less Stress
As we become more flexible, holding the awareness that time is socially constructed, which takes practice, we then realize that we can release the stress that we create about time-bound situations and events. Yep.
We can release that stress, and replace it with a renewed interest in being present. Present to everything in our lives, in each and every moment. Precious.
3. Reduced Anxiety
Holding time within ourselves differently, which creates less stress, also reduces our overall anxiety levels. There are so many people on this planet that have high levels of anxiety.
Yes, about lots of things, yet, considering time as one of the most important aspects of our lives causes a ton of that stress and, yep, related anxiety.
Yet, releasing that time-bound stress, releases the anxiety. Very helpful.
4. Greater Understanding
We also learn more about ourselves, and then have a greater understanding of, yes, ourselves, and about all people. We can connect with people on another level entirely. Why?
Because, we have connected to ourselves on an entirely different level. It works that way. We become more aware of our time-bound habits, and then can see them more clearly in ourselves and in others. Helpful.
5. More Grace
As we are more aware of our own behaviors related to time, and practice releasing the stress and anxiety that develops as a product of time-bound thinking, we can give ourselves more grace. And?
We can also extend that grace to others. If there is one thing on this planet we can all us more of, it’s grace. Given to ourselves and to each other. Important.
6. Deeper Compassion
Along with granting ourselves more grace, we also develop a deeper level of compassion for the human condition. Most all of us are socialized to place importance on time.
With that knowledge, we can release ourselves from any blame or shame for the stress we’ve caused ourselves and others at the expense of time-bound thinking and acting.
And, as we deepen the compassion we have for ourselves, we also deepen the compassion we can extend toward others. Lovely.
7. More Peace
With our practice of holding time differently in our awareness, we also have more peace. More peace about all aspects of our lives that we once associated with time-bound situations and events, and the associated outcomes, or results.
And, when we have more peace, we can also extend that peace out to everyone. Phew. That is important.
Alright, there are 7 Reasons Why Considering Time as a Social Construction is Important to Your Life. Fun.
Remember, time is only important, when we create that importance. I’m not saying that we don’t take our commitments and agreements that are time-bound seriously.
Those time-bound commitments and agreements are very important. My days are full of them; and, I mean full. All day, every day.
Yet, we don’t have to associate time-bound commitments and agreements with a stressful conception of time. It’s a paradox, like most things in life.
You can both hold time as a socially constructed illusion and as an important aspect of your life in regard to meeting our commitments and agreements.
It is really in between the two, considering ourselves as bound in time and not, where you have the power to live, laugh, and love with less stress and anxiety, and way more flexibility, understanding, grace, compassion, and peace.
Be well. Consider well.
Develop. Inspire. Transform. 