February 06, 2007

time passage

The roller coaster ride has several emotional peaks and valleys as time speeds or compresses to fit the opposite of what you expect it to be. We have conditioned ourselves to believe that time passes in units, minutes, hours and days, marked by the setting of the sun and the flipping of calendar pages. But the amount that we accomplish in the time that we have depends on what we take for a value system.

Economics is skewed, but if you wish to play the game of economics with all of your time, you can make the money you need by providing a lynchpin service - using unique skills developed by practice over time. Trading time for money gives us the opportunity to use our own time in somebody else's service. Service for money is a valid trade, providing the contract is appropriately agreed upon. The social contract of life today is all one way - if you don't believe so, read the next 'privacy policy' that you get stuffed in with a billing statement. You have to pay attention to not get taken, all the time, in every transaction. Unless, of course, you are out to score and be the taker in every transaction. That is business - make the best deal on every transaction.

Why do we have to live life as a business - cause that's capitalism? because the two political parties say so? because corporations are people under law? because few are willing to speak truth to power? I dunno, i'd be happy to devote my time to science, if i didn't have to compete in the battle of culture. Entertainment, as currently contrived, is a distraction to keep people from using their time in more productive pursuits. But - what does productive mean - and from who's perspective? Perhaps we need to define the terms and renegotiate the social contract.

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