Topics: Productivity - Time
We seldom question time because of its consistent presence and apparent universality, but time, as we know it in Western society, is a social construct:
- The way in which we measure it is, to a certain extent, arbitrary.
- The pressure (we perceive) time exerts on us is not inherent to it.
- The structure (we perceive) it gives to our lives is made-up, guided by our society’s needs and desires.
- We tie productivity and time to success (Productivity is Doing the Right Things in the Right Amounts of Time), but time has no inherent meaning of success.
- The value we give to time and productivity is very closely tied to our value as an individual in society, and in many ways similar to that of money (“time is money”, it can be saved, wasted, invested).
This is the way we perceive time in Western society, but time is not really that. Bearing this in mind during our daily lives can prove useful, especially when we’re interested in being productive or making the most of our time.