Durga Kurupath Week #10: Time is Almost Up
At every stage of life, humans expect to have more and more. Right now, you might be aiming for a top college and begging to get in; 10 years later and you'd do the same for graduate school; 10 years later you'll do it for your marriage or family; and 10 years later...
Most don't realize how we live in a time loop and never learn from our mistakes because we are brought up with the notion that we deserve all the things we want. It's true that with time comes maturity because once you keep screwing up and expecting things, you're stuck doing it until life humbles you or you realize the repercussions 30 years later.
This part of time you may already know, but the real power in time is its ability to be unpredictable and create rapid change. A power so great that it dictates the stages in our lives in ways we don't know about until we experience it for ourselves.
Once youth is over, we enter a part of our lives where we don't wish for more, but instead for a redo. Life turns a whole one-eighty when obliviousness transitions into overcompensation. Specifically, regretting our foolishness. Regret from an evolutionary perspective is made to help people adjust to time by creating the opportunity to turn it into a lesson to learn from, but we have adapted to figure out how to make it prevent us from progressing further. As a result, we get "stumped" and give up. Only when we grow older does it become clear that we just didn't make use of time efficiently or wisely. The truth is that time gives us power, but just like in any other instance with authority or control, we misuse it until we lead ourselves into our own downfall.
No one is expected to make crazy, big decisions or be freaked out about what to do with the time we have. Instead, it's more important that one can live in the present and understand how we continue to grow into a stronger version of ourselves where promise of the future and regret don't have to oversee every decision or lifestyle choice we make. Learn to be mindful and grateful for time never stops, and neither do we.
Hi Durga! Your blog struck me as an equally beautiful and jarring reflection on the perception of time. I think the concept itself is a two-sided notion, and humans often being in a constant state of war against time makes us forget that it truly is such a blessing. As we’re approaching the end of junior year (and graduation), I’ve been trying to remind myself whenever I’m bickering about some aspect of my life–whether that’s my family, friends, or school– that I won’t get to redo these years of my life with the people I love ever again so I should be more grateful for the moments that I do get, and your blog did such an amazing job of reminding me of that. Your writing accurately captures the human tendency to live in the past or future instead of the present, which I think is a struggle that everyone experiences at least once in their lives, but struggles to articulate clearly. I especially appreciated your point about how we live in a “time loop,” always striving to achieve greater things or want more materialistic things instead of merely being content with what we have, never realizing that we’re stuck in a never-ending cycle of expectations. Your conclusion was what struck me the most, however, and I think your message about how real growth is only attained when we embrace the present instead of hyperfixation on the past or future is a very beautiful reminder. Overall, your blog was very insightful and well-written!
ReplyDeleteHi Durga! This is definitely one of my most favorite blog posts that I have read so far. Every student feels a lot of stress daily about a range of different things because there is always something to worry about: grades, homework assignments, upcoming tests, extracurriculars, cleaning, traveling, and so much more. There is never a pause, never a break, never a second where we can stop and appreciate the insane uniqueness that is now. The present can never be replicated, it can only be experienced and remembered, and yet we never devote any time to really ground ourselves in the now. I strongly agree with you about how "nor can we live the exact vision of the life we pine after in our heads." As humans, we are so incredibly flawed creatures. We each have thousands of weaknesses that we are both aware and unaware of. We are not, and nor are we meant to be, perfect beings. So when we expect to be perfect daily when that is physically impossible, we'll only ever taste regret and disappointment. All we can hope to do is grow, to do better than the day before. I really love the "time loop" that you mention because that is exactly how it feels. In every period of everyone's life, there will be a cycle of things to worry about and stress over, and that cycle is eventually replaced by another cycle. I think the line: "The truth is that time gives us power, but just like in any other instance with authority or control, we misuse it until we lead ourselves into our own downfall." If there is one universal description of human folly I could use, it would be that line. I adore this post and I think it is very thought-provoking and deep-reaching. I look forward to reading more!
ReplyDeleteHi Durga, I never realized how powerful time is, and how valuable it is compared to other things. Time is fleeting; we once lived in the past, we continue to live in the future, and we fall into deep thought about what has happened and what is to come as we ponder in the present. Personally, I have been struggling with wondering what I did wrong last week during election week without considering that I have more opportunities to lead. I am pretty distraught that I will not be able to influence decisions that will bring a positive impact on the senior experience next year, but I can find hope in knowing that there are other ways for me to contribute as an active member in the class of ‘26. I think Neil deGrasse Tyson talks about the power of time best when he said, “Time makes us all a prisoner of the present, forever transitioning from our own past into an unknown future,” possibly motivating us to use the present to make the most out of the time we have amidst what we lost in the past so we can have hope for the future. Thank you for this message, and I look forward to what your future blog posts have to offer!
ReplyDeleteHi Durga! I found this post so insightful, and especially relevant to all of us in junior year. This year I constantly feel like I do not have enough time for anything and that I am constantly behind on everything, always one step in the past from everyone else. Reading your blog took a weight off my shoulders, but also made me think about all the time we waste thinking about the time we do not have anymore, which is a paradox within itself. Thank you so much for sharing your take!
ReplyDelete