Brianna Lenza

Professor Hamilton

English 138T, Section 012

9 April 2019

Time: Running out The Clock or Running against It?

In a society where life is patronized as the outlet for monetary value and success, we

constantly find ourselves feeling as if we are racing against a clock; our biological clocks. These

clocks are funded with an indeterminable amount of time to pursue the goals and lifestyle we

decide to prioritize. The harsh, unavoidable reality lies in the truth that life is unpredictable and it

is not promised, nor guaranteed. What comes along with the territory of a finite human life is the

notion that time cannot be regained, so when it is lost the only way to reverse wasted time is to

take advantage of the opportunities we have left. Experiences are at the root of our knowledge

base and it is imperative to our survival that individuals to encounter both challenges and

successes. Winning and losing, while different, impart lessons learned. Too often we find

ourselves dismissing life-changing opportunities in response to fear, uncertainty, or limited

previous exposure. The most impactful lessons learned by society are those that challenge the

idea of orthodoxy and provide the opportunity to thrive in environments in which initially felt

uncomfortable. Life is deemed as a sanction in which individuals find their purpose, allowing for

the commencement of individuality. This arrival towards a redefined purpose is steeped in the

idea that time flies and we are the pilots. Using this concept as an outlet of direction, some

misconceptions about time are that it is guaranteed which leads to the false ideology that we will

always have time. Integrating these ideals into reality, some individuals become both

overwhelmed and intimidated by time. These select few do not necessarily fear time, but fear the
fact that their time is wasted; there is not an ample supply and perhaps to some it is eternally

slow and does not offer the meaning others derive from life. Adopting the philosophy that time is

a mere description of our lifestyle and how we wish to pursue life’s challenges and opportunities,

establish the vitality of maintaining mental stability and satisfaction.

We can find ways to evoke inspiration from individuals who live their lives without

wasting time and also dedicate this precious commodity to research and discoveries that support

human nature’s mentality towards wasting time. “In a study about to be published in

Psychological Science, researchers from Penn, Yale and Harvard asked people to spend time

doing something selfless for a total stranger (in this case, helping an at-risk student writing

his/her college admission essay). They compared these folks to people who were told they’d be

editing an essay (same as the other group), but were then let off the hook at the last minute and

allowed to leave early. Both groups of participants were asked how scarce their time is, and

guess what? Although the people who had spent time helping had objectively less time in their

day than the other group, they felt as if they had more. In other experiments, they added other

comparison groups – spending time on yourself, for example – and found the same thing.

Spending time on other people, more than any other way of using your time, makes you feel like

you have more time to spare” 1 Following this observation another misconception is how we

utilize our precious time. Indeed time is free, however, it is both priceless and limited. In fact,

time is more valuable than money because you can always obtain more money, but where are

you getting more time? Individuals fail to acknowledge the fact that they are wasting their time

because realization only hits when the clock has run out. The concept of an absence of

fulfillment toward the end of one’s life is highlighted in Erik Erikson’s seventh stage of his

psychological development theory. Erikson’s generativity versus stagnation stage exemplifies an

individual’s inclination to leave a lasting impression on the world. By doing so, individuals

invest time and effort into creating a legacy, something that will outlive themselves so they may

be remembered in their afterlife and satisfy their desire to be impactful. In addition to Erikson’s

seventh stage, his eighth stage resembles an attitude faced by countless individuals that

highlights a feeling of dissatisfaction near death. “If we see our lives as unproductive, feel guilty

about our past, or feel that we did not accomplish our life goals, we become dissatisfied with life

and develop despair, often leading to depression and hopelessness. Success in this stage will lead

to the virtue of wisdom. Wisdom enables a person to look back on their life with a sense of

closure and completeness, and also accept death without fear” Erikson reveals the transparency

behind human nature. As per human nature, we find ourselves blaming others for “wasting our

time”, however, we give others the permission to do so 2. While allowing others to take

advantage of our lives, we begin to drown in a deep abyss of despair, self-loathe, insecurity, and

fear.

Societal Standards as a Catalyst for Mental Illness

When it comes to discussing the unconscious eagerness society has towards pleasing the

public, we find ourselves constantly attempting to surpass standards that have been unreasonably

set. These standards consist of body image, popularity, perceptions of beauty, and admiration of

those with considerable amounts of money. In place of achieving these expectations, society has

created outlets for showcasing one another’s unattainable goals in efforts of building a wall of

dissatisfaction and insecurity. Otherwise spending their limited time on Earth wisely, we find

that societal influences concerning self-esteem have a direct correlation to those who suffer from

depression and mental illnesses. As social media has become more prevalent in society,

individuals find themselves to be both less satisfied and accomplished when compared to those
identified as influencers on these platforms. A study has proven that 81% of children fear being

deemed as “fat” which provides a causal relationship with eating disorders becoming the most

prevalent mortality rate of any mental illnesses 3. As society drifts towards unrealistic prosperity,

individualism will falter and time will begin to feel as a structure of typicality, removing all

sense of experience and purpose. Those affected by mental illnesses find themselves wishing

away time and yearn for their time on this Earth to be limited and or short. Time is captured

through a different lens for those who suffer from diseases for it feels as if their illness is a

precursor for the rest of their time alive. Mental disabilities control one’s life and create a

personality that demeans the truth of the individual, thus stigmatizing those suffering as outsiders

or less meaningful to society. Fervent, ill wishes find themselves to be catalysts for the wasting

of time for they allow the individual to constantly look ahead and deny the opportunities

presented in front of them. The denial and neglecting of these opportunities can deteriorate a

person’s prosperity and put their mental stability on hold. By halting one’s natural

progression, they find themselves yearning for purpose at a stage in their lives where it is

no longer attainable, thus reinforcing catalysts for isolation and depression. Presented in the

figure it has been discovered that suicide rates seem to be at an ultimate high after being

discharged from treatment a

week later 4.

This graph emphasizes how

severe the detriments of

improper care and attention

towards mental illness is.

 Although mental illnesses seem to be quite prevalent within our society, the ignorance

and lack of attention brought to the topic can be correlated with an increase in suicide rates as

well as diagnoses for anxiety and depression. Individuals deem society as a monster that

provokes feelings of loneliness and helplessness which deteriorates the inclination of receiving

aid and protection. By invoking laws and drawing more attention to mental illnesses, those who

suffer will not feel as if they are insignificant and their time is less valuable. Dedicating time to

research and funding to support those who battle with mental disabilities could alleviate the

negative outlook those individuals have and teach them to optimize their precious time, despite

their mental setbacks. “Mental health care is one of the biggest unmet needs of our time. Nearly

one in two people in the U.S. will suffer from depression, anxiety disorders or another mental

health ailment at some point in their life, and about one in 17 Americans currently has a serious

mental illness. Young people are especially prone to these troubles. Yet millions of people living

with these conditions do not receive the care they require” and without receiving proper care,

those who suffer feel their life is useless as well as their time, resulting in the increase of suicide

rates and disorders 5. In 2017 alone, there were an estimated 1,400,000 suicide attempts in the

United States; 47,000 of which had succeeded in their attempts 6. It has become increasingly

evident over the course of the twenty-first century that society has become generally consumed

by feelings of inadequacy which leads them to neglect their purpose in life. Some political action

that has been taken to address the severity of mental illness is a greater number of states which

have begun to implement extended Medicaid coverage in their insurance policies. This shift

towards advanced care for those who are suffering will subside the desire to take one’s life and

provide them with hope through a support system designed and required to protect them.
Feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, and a lack of belonging will begin to deteriorate for those

heavily influenced by their mental instability once more attention is brought to the cause.

Existential Crises Involved with Time

The perceived value of time has become an

existential crisis throughout society. Time has become a

symbol for human life as an outlet for inspiration and

experience, especially to those who feel as if they are

wasting their time. In figure 2, derived from Jay Shetty’s

video “Before You Waste TIME – WATCH THIS”, the

concept of time being extremely valuable is demonstrated

in relatable and relevant experiences 7. Society often

experiences overwhelming sensations of regret and

hopelessness once they reach a point in their lives where it is deemed a change cannot be made.

A vital concept in recognizing the value of time is the ability to understand the comparison

between something tangible that can always be obtained versus a symbolic manifestation of

ideas. At the beginning of every day 86,400 seconds is deposited into your time bank account.

To symbolize this truth, imagine that you have $86,400 in your bank account seems much more

valuable and enticing, in retrospect. However, at the end of the day, whether you used your

86,400 seconds or dollars, it all disappears. This analogy emphasizes how limited our time truly

is and how once it is again it cannot be regained. The inability to regenerate time awakens

society and forces them to take advantage of the opportunities present for there is no guarantee

they will ever return. Life’s inconsistencies and unstable manner allow individuals to diverge

from expectations and create a path of their own. The elimination of challenging normalcy forces
individuals to divulge in experiences that will both shape them as a person and enlighten them to

discover opportunities which oppose orthodoxy. It seems as if society has indulged in a

competition where the survival of the fittest mentality is enacted. For some reason we have

become so accustomed to this established precedent that we do not dare to rebel. Dare to be

different, unique, to be able to defy these expectations that have been placed on us without

regard. We have become animals in the kingdom and we bow to those at the top of the food

chain. We fear rejection, but thrive on the failures of others if it means surpassing them and

climbing the social ladder. Instead of focusing on ourselves, we spend our time concerned with

how others are spending it which disintegrates our biological clock. Unfortunately, time does not

slow down for those who lack the ambition to make a change in their lifestyle, leaving some with

an unfulfilled, unmemorable existence. Adopting the philosophy that time is a mere description

of our lifestyle and how we wish to pursue life’s challenges and opportunities, establish the

vitality of maintaining mental stability and satisfaction.

The capability to define yourself from your own nature allows the formation of

insurgents: those who refuse to settle, dare to exceed expectations, and fear only the lengths in

which they will go to succeed. Charles Darwin once stated that “a man who dares waste one hour

of time has not discovered the value of life” which holds true to those who spend their time being

ordinary and not finding a way to be impactful 8. Society fears disappointment. Society fears

failure. Society fears challenging the ordinary. The development of a technologically-based

society has deteriorated individuality and community has become wasteful and unappreciative of

the opportunities life has to offer. The adaptation of setbacks and inability to be crippled by

failure, enhances an individual’s transcendence where their potential is undefined, but

characterized by the surpassing of typicality.

 It is undeniable that society is unaware of the precious personality of time and we often

find ourselves facing feelings of regret and despair. A simple solution to our society’s problem is

to acknowledge how we are spending are time and considering if it is adding any value to our

lives, long-term. In efforts of revitalizing our perception of time, individuals will find they are

experiencing more and obtaining life-changing values. Time is not tangible, thus influencing

how its importance is deemed which can be shifted once individuals are capable of

acknowledging how short life truly is. We must challenge the thought: Are we doing enough to

make the best of our time? Our answers should be the source of ignition to inspire action. As a

society we are constantly running against our clocks, when we should be valuing time instead of

worrying about how much is left.

1
"No Time Is Ever Wasted, Or Is It?" Psychology Today. Accessed April 09, 2019.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-science-self-help/201208/no-time-is-ever-wasted-

or-is-it.
2
Mcleod, Saul. "Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development." Simply Psychology. Accessed

April 09, 2019. https://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html.

3
Stockdale, Margo. "Social Media Phenomenon Inspires Low Self-Esteem." The Southerner

Online. Accessed April 09, 2019. https://thesoutherneronline.com/8457/lifestyle/social-media-

phenomenon-inspires-low-self-esteem/.
4
Bolton, James M., David Gunnell, and Gustavo Turecki. "Suicide Risk Assessment and

Intervention in People with Mental Illness." The BMJ. November 09, 2015. Accessed April 09,

2019. https://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h4978.
5
Editors, The. "The Neglect of Mental Illness Exacts a Huge Toll, Human and Economic."

Scientific American. March 01, 2012. Accessed April 09, 2019.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-neglect-of-mental-illness/.

6
"Suicide Statistics." AFSP. March 12, 2019. Accessed April 09, 2019. https://afsp.org/about-

suicide/suicide-statistics/.

7
Shetty, Jay. YouTube. May 08, 2018. Accessed April 09, 2019.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPaS85IA6oY.
8
"Charles Darwin Quotes." BrainyQuote. Accessed April 09, 2019.

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/charles_darwin_1631166.