Time: the Ultimate Ultimatum

* Note - this is a continuation from a previous post. If you haven't read it yet, click here

  A strange concept, isn't it? It is the governing body of all. All that exists. All thatAll of the secrets of the Universe are embedded within it. Without it, matter would have no meaning. All of the secrets of the Universe are embedded within it.

  As Einstein said it best, it is the only thing in the universe that is constant. Of course, there is scientific proof of this. We know that incredibly accurate atomic clocks slow down when in a high-speed orbit around the Earth compared to one that is closer to the core of our planet (and thus has a lower radial velocity). Indeed, time does bend - slow down and speed up - in special circumstances.

  It is the running blood for all of creation, rich with ideas, evolution, thoughts and events. It has always been (at least since the Big Bang) and for our concerns, always will be. Everything happens within its realm. There isn't a "time" (heh) in which time has never been that we can resort to and pinpoint. Isn't that odd? It is the sustenance of, well everything. It's what's nurtured nature.

  However, what about the more philosophical aspect of time? We are all counting down the seconds; time is never increasing. I'm not trying to bum anyone out or be depressing, quite the opposite. But this is more about the purpose (or at least, my reasoning in regards to said purpose) of life. If our entire purpose it to attain knowledge to ultimately better humanity (if you're confused, you should click ^ that link), then should we not ascertain our ultimate passion and allocate all our time towards accomplishing our ultimate goal, in order to push the boundaries of human knowledge - even if it's ever so sightly? We are all running out of time, so why do we waste it so much?

  Part of it has to do with being human. To truly give all our time to increase knowledge would leave no room for partying, no room for entertainment, no room for dating, no room for sadness, happiness, love, family, friends, anything! Sounds extreme, doesn't it. But it would mean to truly become the ultimate philosopher in your field of study and think. A lot. The more knowledge you attain, the less emotions you experience. The less important the other stuff becomes to you. You no longer feel the anger you felt when that bully in grade 7 smacked your food out of your hands in front of the whole cafeteria. The fact that your friends disagree with your taste in music doesn't seem to matter much anymore. You become numb to opinion because you become more aware (for argument's sake, let's assume that the knowledge you have gained is absolute and correct in every way). Thus, you become more and more omniscient. You become more and more robot-like. And of course you would. If all you ever do is think, you have no time to exercise such emotions, so they render themselves useless and you cultivate the part of your brain that is concerned with logical thinking. I myself have had days of intense concentration relating to a certain idea or theory and observe myself becoming more and more emotionless. The reverse has also been true; during times of emotional stress and difficulty, I find that the more emotional I get, the less logical I become. This may seem implausible at first, but after some thought, it makes more sense. So yes, you most likely will succeed in your goal of pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and ultimately add to it, but you lose the arguably biggest thing that makes us humans humans in the process. You lose your emotions.

  On the other hand, if all you concern yourself with are emotions, you limit the amount that you can contribute to the knowledge of our race. Now, does that mean that those who are in the arts - something so full of emotions - are wasting their time? Of course not! We have a left side and a right side to our brains for a reason. It has been linked that art can cultivate minds greatly, and the mathematical manifestations in painting, dance, drama, and especially music are astounding. It is the emotions that motivate these works, fuelled by primarily the right hemisphere of the brain. The embodiment of these thoughts is art, and if these thoughts are useless, there would be no point of evolution/God to give us this ability and this dedicated part of our brains.

  Art is arguably the most human creation. It seems unlikely that if aliens existed, they would share our sense for the arts (yet if they visited us, they'd probably be much more interested in them than our advancements in science and mathematics, because simply put, they'd be much more advanced in those fields if they had the ability to visit us in the first place). But art is not universal. Science is. So advancing our knowledge in science is more worthwhile in the grander scheme of things. Yes, art cultivates, but science is what gives us inventions that better our lives.

  It seems then, that once most out of the little time that we are given. Again we come to the conclusion that balance is key. If you lead a life of pure logical reasoning, you lose touch with humanity. If you decide to let your life be run by emotions, you lose touch with reason. It's your choice what you do with your time, but we are all given a FIXED quantity of it. It will eventually run out. So it seems best then, that we put it to good use. Live life eloquently. Feel the emotions that make us human, but don't let them be the governing body, and don't let them cloud your judgement. Think more. Ask more questions. Seek more answers. Push the boundaries of what is possible, of what is known.

  After all, our lifespan is nothing compared to that of the universe. But maybe, just maybe, we can change it before we go extinct. Can we make a difference on not only our own Earth, but the entire world? We can certainly try. And it starts with one individual. If one person can change himself, he can change others. Others can change many. Many can change a state. A state can change the nation. A nation can change the world.

    I simply believe time itself is endless. Our time isn't. This is the ultimatum of time: use it while it's using you. It is the ultimate in opportunities and possibilities, how many of them become a reality is simply up to us. It is the ultimatum in power, everyone will succumb to it, from kings to peasants. Everyone's time will end. I think it's best to make the most of what little time we have.