Time >> Money
The phrase “time is money” is thrown around a lot, but most do not understand its meaning, especially since it is incorrect. Time is the most valuable thing on Earth, yet people are always underestimating its true worth.
Here’s why:
Money is, at best, an inaccurate abstraction of measuring time; invented to make trade simpler. Where trade is a method of receiving goods or services that help make life, or your time on Earth, better (i.e. food to survive, or tools that improve efficiency). At its core, money is just a tool to make trade more efficient (a tool that saves time, when getting things to save time).
The problem is that time’s value is difficult to calculate, and people have fallen back to money as a de facto way to measure value, but this is comparing apples and oranges. Time is simply more scarce and inflexible than money.
With money, you can get a refund if you want to return a purchased good. You can always figure out new ways to create money and generate income; there’s no limit to money. Even in the worst case, bankruptcy, you can borrow money.
Time is finite. Time is capped at a fixed rate, there are only 24 hours in a day. You can’t create time, you can’t borrow time from someone else, and once you have spent time, it’s gone, you can never get it back.
This is most clear at the extreme, with infinite time and money, money becomes insignificant. This is probably why, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, people at the extreme end of the money spectrum, have chosen to donate most of their wealth, there’s no value left for them.
But time has more special properties.
Time is hard to calculate. It’s hard enough for people to show up to dinner on time, let alone make accurate deliverable estimates for large projects. People who are consistent and on-time are considered dependable and trustworthy.
Time is the basis of trust. Getting to know someone, forming a strong relationship doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time. Internally, we all understand the value of sharing time with one another. Being there is the true measure of someone’s interest, you can only be in one place at one time after all.
Perhaps the scariest characteristic of time, is its unknown. We all have a finite amount of time, we just don’t know how much. Would you change your behavior if you knew how much longer you had to live? Time is the great equalizer, the thing we all share in common. Steve Jobs puts it quite eloquently in his commencement speech.
Spend it wisely.
Subconsciously, society does care about time, but it should be prioritized. High speed rail should be a given. Communication networks should be as fast as possible. People value speed. Part of Google’s success was making search fast, a giant multiplier effect for all of its users.
Is all time equal? As part of fluid living, the key to life is maximizing time on things you care about (Hint: Procrastination, is probably an inner alarm to do the things we enjoy).
Start taking time seriously. Don't let people waste your time. Acknowledge and evaluate your own time usage and see where improvements can be made.
P.S. Don’t be late.
Here’s why:
Money is, at best, an inaccurate abstraction of measuring time; invented to make trade simpler. Where trade is a method of receiving goods or services that help make life, or your time on Earth, better (i.e. food to survive, or tools that improve efficiency). At its core, money is just a tool to make trade more efficient (a tool that saves time, when getting things to save time).
The problem is that time’s value is difficult to calculate, and people have fallen back to money as a de facto way to measure value, but this is comparing apples and oranges. Time is simply more scarce and inflexible than money.
With money, you can get a refund if you want to return a purchased good. You can always figure out new ways to create money and generate income; there’s no limit to money. Even in the worst case, bankruptcy, you can borrow money.
Time is finite. Time is capped at a fixed rate, there are only 24 hours in a day. You can’t create time, you can’t borrow time from someone else, and once you have spent time, it’s gone, you can never get it back.
This is most clear at the extreme, with infinite time and money, money becomes insignificant. This is probably why, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, people at the extreme end of the money spectrum, have chosen to donate most of their wealth, there’s no value left for them.
But time has more special properties.
Time is hard to calculate. It’s hard enough for people to show up to dinner on time, let alone make accurate deliverable estimates for large projects. People who are consistent and on-time are considered dependable and trustworthy.
Time is the basis of trust. Getting to know someone, forming a strong relationship doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time. Internally, we all understand the value of sharing time with one another. Being there is the true measure of someone’s interest, you can only be in one place at one time after all.
Perhaps the scariest characteristic of time, is its unknown. We all have a finite amount of time, we just don’t know how much. Would you change your behavior if you knew how much longer you had to live? Time is the great equalizer, the thing we all share in common. Steve Jobs puts it quite eloquently in his commencement speech.
Spend it wisely.
Subconsciously, society does care about time, but it should be prioritized. High speed rail should be a given. Communication networks should be as fast as possible. People value speed. Part of Google’s success was making search fast, a giant multiplier effect for all of its users.
Is all time equal? As part of fluid living, the key to life is maximizing time on things you care about (Hint: Procrastination, is probably an inner alarm to do the things we enjoy).
Start taking time seriously. Don't let people waste your time. Acknowledge and evaluate your own time usage and see where improvements can be made.
P.S. Don’t be late.
