Don't Be Greedy

A German science fiction film titled Paradise depicts a near future in which people can extend their lives by "borrowing" time from others. Though a less-emphasized plot point, the film's fictionalized world where time is a commercialized product hinges on one concerning requirement: people who are willing to give up theirs. Hyperbole aside, it's a concept with which we're much more subtly comfortable than we may realize.

Each passing day (hour, minute) is a unit of time given away doing something. The inevitability of time passing somehow convinces us that we will always have time, a sensation that presents the risk of feeling entitled to it. We then live as if the continuation of our own pockets of time is inevitable, often delaying the meaningful until we're jolted into consciousness by way of some perspective-shifting event (including, but not limited to aging).

Stoic wisdom reminds us that we can renew our experiences of time by recognizing both how much and how little of it we have. Life is both long and fast. Acts of randomness preclude our ability to entirely influence the former, but conscious living allows us to contentedly face the latter. Addressed practically, Seneca implores us to "cultivate an asset which the passing of time itself improves." This means taking care of our minds and bodies so as to increase the chances of effectively withstanding whatever life and aging may bring about.

Make no mistake: not wielding our time well is to be greedy with it—to assume that we can waste it because we expect more of it. We can't add more time, but through intention and reflective consideration, we can give more to the time that we have.

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