Time-the system of those sequential relations that any event has to any other, as past, present, or future; indefinite and continuous duration regarded as that in which events succeed one another. Can it be said that this is the true definition of time? Is it possible that there is an altogether different definition if not more than one definition of the word and concept of time? Time is a fascinating and confusing thing. It is both a mystery and an already defined concept that could be argued to be our creation in the first place. Time can be taken metaphorically, and literally, with perception and point of view playing a big contributing factor to the definition being used in a specific context. It is not easy but we can craft a definition by showing how time is not only defined in different ways but different attributes contribute to the definition of time. Using things like the concept of Thoreau defining time and how that defies our creation of the clock, and our silly belief of overcoming fatalism, and how time is keen to the philosophy of presentism all contribute to our understanding of time, leading to the creation of our definition of time.
A clock is an instrument utilized for the sole purpose of displaying and measuring time. Time is an essential factor in each individual's life. It typically evolves around every decision, and move we make. An average individual would consider a clock to be the general representation of time. According to the well known philosopher Henry David Thoreau, he considers time to be a continuously straight line of occurring events. Time is ultimately everlasting, and constantly changing. Thoreau believed that the concept of time couldn't be measured or placed in the representation of a clock. For example a clock can suddenly stop working, and breaks. Due to it breaking it doesn't time will remain ongoing, and not miss a beat. Thoreau looks beyond the man made fate of humanity. Time is seen as another restriction on the sights of man, it is something that we can live without. That clock that people rely on is only an instrument. Thoreau sees the idea of ''time'' as something that ruins his ideals of simplicity and he believes that time isn't something that people should hold too heavily because it restrains man in thoughts. Thoreau wants to see mankind living freely, not thinking too much on what the future holds. He wants them to live naturally, without the constant restrictions that instruments like ''time'' that infringe on a personal freedom that humanity can no longer remember. Thoreau obviously defies the clock with his philosophy because time stands as a symbol of reliance to him in a way. Imagine if we never saw another clock again. That might seem like chaos to most people, but to Thoreau this is what freedom really is and how the world should be. The clock only provides security or organization to the minds of people who know nothing else. Simplicity and organization can't truly coexist because of their contradicting principles in everyday life. Thoreau's principles all derive from the need to make life simpler and more relevant to nature. The clock is a manifestation of time; both the notion of time and the clock are arbitrary in a sense. Therefore they are unnecessary to human interest, which makes time against the philosophy of simplicity Thoreau had proposed.
Thoreau's analysis of time defies our ridiculous belief that we are capable of escaping extinction, that we are capable of overcoming fatalism. Thoreau’s view on time is that we should live in the moment and let what is to happen to us just happen. In this day and age people are trying to escape fate. For example, on April 22, 2013 there has been an application process opened for people to live on mars. There have been over 200,000 people who applied for this Mars One mission road map, where those who take this trip will never come back to earth. With all of the problems that are going on in the earth today, such as global warming, natural disasters, and problems between the nations, time is running out for this world to end. These people taking this trip are trying to escape the fate of the end of the world. These people are trying to give themselves more time. By doing this it goes completely against Thoreau’s views on time. The people taking this trip is not living in the moment they are not letting fate take its place. They are trying to overcome fate. There is nobody on earth that could run away from fate. There is nobody on earth that can overcome fate. Time is not something you could run away from. Time and fate are one in the same. Time will forever be ticking. Nobody could ever cheat fate, and this is why Thoreau’s analysis of time defies our ridiculous belief that we are capable of escaping extinction.
Time is not a concept that defines past recollections or a futuristic being. For decade men have referred to memories in order to access their being as they die. Time is continuous and only the objects that are found in the present exist. This philosophy of time is known as Presentism- an idea in which nothing else matters but the present state of time. A person at the death bed may be reminiscing but what they say or do at that moment matters more like: apologizing or sending regards are just a few things that someone may do and will remain with those who are there to witness the event. Memories are blurry thoughts that try to hang on to our mind due to our incapacity of turning back time to relive those events. It is impossible to live in the past and the future, there is no existing being that takes a life in those dimensions of time. We need to learn to live in the moment, for it is not an occasion that we can live again. Time is not a cycle which can be repeated over and over, there is no way to speed it up or turn it back the only thing to do is to go along with it.
Using things like the concept of Thoreau defining time and how that defies our creation of the clock, and our silly belief of overcoming fatalism, and how time is keen to the philosophy of presentism all contribute to our understanding of time, leading tothe creation of our definition of time. Thoreau possess’ an interesting point of view when it comes to his analysis of time. His analysis possess’ many oxymoron in the way that he views time as both limitless " the stream I fish in" and fleeting "I want to live… and suck out all the marrow life can offer", life is both precious " and discovered that I had not lived" and frivolous " I came to die...". His philosophical views tend to contradict most common thought. He views time as valuable and a commodity. This contradicts our thinking and definition of time being a metaphorical and physical concept. His definition is more from a philosophical stand point, and ours tends to veer towards the literal and physical, or the metaphorical and the force behind that. Even though they all differ from one another, they can all be considered definitions of time depending on the context you are approaching it from. Time an invisible being, which evolves the earth dragging it along with it. For years it has been known to be a cycle that never ends or changes. The great philosopher Henry David Thoreau once said: “It matters not what the clocks say,” we have created the clock to be a representation of time with the same twelve numbers that continue to repeat themselves. When we look at the clock we see limitations, preventing us from doing that many things that we want to do and that we are capable of doing. We fear that the time given is not enough, so we give up on work and dreams and we hold on to nothing but memories and wishes. Time my friends is endless, so why represent it with a timer that impedes us from continuing to live every moment as new day. Why keep fighting fate, when no force is strong enough to fight it. We cannot define time, but can learn to go along with it.
