"Man alone chimes the hour. And, because of this, man alone suffers a paralyzing fear that no other creature endures. A fear of time running out."
-Mitch Albom, The Time Keeper
What would the world be if we didn't keep track of time? If we never had calendars or clocks, solely light and dark giving us an approximation of what time of day it is. Can you imagine that? It's difficult, as time is all around us. School starts at precisely 8:15, no earlier or later. We each celebrate our birthday the same date every year. No other creature on this earth keeps track of time as humans do.
Chronophobia, or fear of time, is apparent in every human being. Sure, it can be more extreme in certain cases, but I think everyone has thought about growing old and what regrets they may have. At a degree, we are all afraid that when we grow old, time will have flew by us without so much as a warning. So why did humans create the concept of time? Sure, keeping a schedule and organizing time is a necessity in everyday life, but disregarding that fact, is it really worth being afraid of losing track of time? Do you think it would benefit humans more if we didn't keep track of time, never really thinking about our age or the years that pass, only living day by day?
I think this is an interesting topic you bring up about the human obsession with time. Although this need to keep time is seen throughout the world, it is especially prominent in the U.S.. I think part of this is because Americans are obsessed with efficiency. We want to get as much done as possible in the time we are given. The thought of running out of time before reaching your goals is scary for us. There is so much emphasis on success and achievement in the U.S. and the fact that we could die before reaching "success" concerns us. In order to achieve "success", we feel we have to use our time wisely and have an efficient life. Should Americans learn how to embrace the moment instead of thinking into the future? Is it a legitimate concern that you will not be successful before your time runs out?
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