Protected Time & Peacemaking

Victoria Park, Kitchener

In an episode of Oprah’s Master Class I recently watched, singer-songwriter James Taylor said something that resonated quite deeply: “Today, you need to defend your time to have a long thought”. I couldn’t help but ponder this statement for a while afterwards and authentically feel the truths it brought to the surface. I came to think about the earthly destruction and perpetuated violence caused by us humans as a species and how our negative impact seems to overpower the glimpses of true beauty we can also contribute to. I wonder what role evolving conceptions of time have played in this untenable behaviour, and I believe that appreciating time and elongating it can only be done when we slow down ourselves. Beyond that, I am curious about how we could be more peaceful beings, ones that nurture interpersonal relationships and value deeper connections to nature, if we spent more time doing less – more time having one long thought.

So, what do we value setting aside time for? Some of the first hits that come up on Google when searching the words “protecting time” include articles entitled “Protecting Your Time to Focus on Sales” and “How to Protect Your Peak Time and Guarantee Better Productivity”. Somehow, we have come to understand the protection of time as that which is dedicated to revenue-generating work and productivity. I argue that more time should be protected for doing the complete opposite, for sitting and thinking reflectively through a thought. The time dedicated to a long, unadulterated thought could be an inch toward the change and harmony this world needs.

Granted, this observational issue of time consumption is heavily driven by the dominant views within a Euro-Western agenda and the associated ways of living and thinking. That we live out this high-speed and constantly disrupted use of time cannot be said for everyone, but I worryingly believe it can be said for me and many others I care about.

Time seems to be our greatest and most fierce opponent. We are constantly chasing it to catch up or running away from it and the experiences it holds in memory. Constantly racing against time encourages impulsive decision-making, and in many ways perpetuates broad tendencies of short-sightedness. I would argue that this also contributes to a global political agenda that drives decision-making and is governed by spatial disconnect, centralized power, and short-lived reactive efforts to solve long-term problems.

But perhaps I am stepping too far. What do you think? Have you ever defended time for a long thought?