On Another Self-Observation or More on Quality vs. Quantity or Still More on Time: Waste
In previous posts I have mentioned preferring quality over quantity.
For whatever reason, I have been thinking about my dislike of time, or rather that time is limited, a lot lately. (For an example, see my previous public entry.)
A couple weeks ago, it stuck me that there is a paradox in my preferences. I usually prefer quality over quantity, yet I don't like the quantity of time given me in life to be short. A way to resolve this conflict would be for the quality of time to be directly linked to its quantity. But this is not the case. Sometimes the shorter moments I have spent with my fiancée are more sweet. But those are the very times that I do not want to be short. Actually, it is the high quality moments that I want to have high quantity and the low quality moments that I want to have low quantity. Is it not the same with everyone?
I prefer real film over digital[1] because I prefer clearer pictures over many pictures. But if I could have both many and clear photos, surely, I would take that over few and clear photos. So with time, it seems it is no different. If I had only 1 day left to live, I would want to spend it well, not wasting it.
I would guess that I am more aware of the lack of quantity of time because I am a sentient being with will. What do I mean by that? Well, to some extent, I can control the quality of time that I have, whereas with most things, the quality of it is a constant or near constant. No, I cannot prevent bad things from happening to me -- I am not a god -- yet I can still make the conscious choice to make the best of any situation I experience. Since I can greatly affect the quality of my time, the limiting factor to the extent of my enjoyment is then the quantity, which I cannot control, because life is bound by schedules and life could end at any moment.
I think this is why I get so frustrated at myself when I waste time. I should be able to spend my time in a high-quality manner. Yet for some stupid reason, I become lazy and waste it. Don't I know my time is limited?
For whatever reason, I have been thinking about my dislike of time, or rather that time is limited, a lot lately. (For an example, see my previous public entry.)
A couple weeks ago, it stuck me that there is a paradox in my preferences. I usually prefer quality over quantity, yet I don't like the quantity of time given me in life to be short. A way to resolve this conflict would be for the quality of time to be directly linked to its quantity. But this is not the case. Sometimes the shorter moments I have spent with my fiancée are more sweet. But those are the very times that I do not want to be short. Actually, it is the high quality moments that I want to have high quantity and the low quality moments that I want to have low quantity. Is it not the same with everyone?
I prefer real film over digital[1] because I prefer clearer pictures over many pictures. But if I could have both many and clear photos, surely, I would take that over few and clear photos. So with time, it seems it is no different. If I had only 1 day left to live, I would want to spend it well, not wasting it.
I would guess that I am more aware of the lack of quantity of time because I am a sentient being with will. What do I mean by that? Well, to some extent, I can control the quality of time that I have, whereas with most things, the quality of it is a constant or near constant. No, I cannot prevent bad things from happening to me -- I am not a god -- yet I can still make the conscious choice to make the best of any situation I experience. Since I can greatly affect the quality of my time, the limiting factor to the extent of my enjoyment is then the quantity, which I cannot control, because life is bound by schedules and life could end at any moment.
I think this is why I get so frustrated at myself when I waste time. I should be able to spend my time in a high-quality manner. Yet for some stupid reason, I become lazy and waste it. Don't I know my time is limited?