There is a consented feeling that January 1 at 12 am is a point of inflection, that we are turning the page into a new chapter of our lives. A general unfounded hope that next year will be better than the one that is at the verge of disappearing; a cheap and irrational hope that new opportunities will appear which will compensate for recent failures and make of the previous year a distant past.
But… why don’t we have this same hope and excitement in August 1, November 1, or some other ordinary day?
Our human nature is obsessed with time. Year after year we cheer with the ones we love, and hope… hope that maybe this year we will make a difference… hope that maybe in this year we will achieve that goal for which we have been striving so hard.
Knowledge is relative to cultural constructions which are ultimately merely ideas, not real things existing in themselves, Immanuel Kant proposed. We are conditioned and have been deeply influenced by these collective feelings that give hope to the masses. We live in such a structured society that everything is based and conditioned by time, even our feelings and beliefs.
But… why don’t we have this same hope and excitement in August 1, November 1, or some other ordinary day?
Our human nature is obsessed with time. Year after year we cheer with the ones we love, and hope… hope that maybe this year we will make a difference… hope that maybe in this year we will achieve that goal for which we have been striving so hard.
Knowledge is relative to cultural constructions which are ultimately merely ideas, not real things existing in themselves, Immanuel Kant proposed. We are conditioned and have been deeply influenced by these collective feelings that give hope to the masses. We live in such a structured society that everything is based and conditioned by time, even our feelings and beliefs. 
A new year is approaching. Is it a new beginning? Should we expect anything different from those last 365 days? Well… yes we should. Our limited minds and imagination need some sort of motivation to provide a sense of direction to our lives; through the ages, different schools of thought, religions, and society as a whole, have provided this motivation. Why would we stop now? We, as merely human beings, need this kind of motivation. This is why we gather together with our friends and loved ones for December 31, share anecdotes and hope for the future, passing this tradition from generation to generation.I wish you success in all your future endeavours, regardless of any time boundaries. Happy New Year!!
4 comments:
As long as we don't stop learning, every year will be better than the preceding one.
Same or new problems will appear, and we'll figure new and more effective ways of dealing with them.
Happy new year!
Happy New Year Eric!
what time is it?
Yo creo firmemente que una persona con convicción, e ideas bien fundadas... no necesita de una motivación tan tonta de creer que es un nuevo comienzo, sólo porque pasaron dos segundos desde el momento señalado. No es que uno nazca de nuevo, ni mucho menos... que el mundo comienza un ciclo, o acaba de terminar otro. Los años, son sólo muestra de lo finitos que somos, y de lo que nos sentimos. Festejamos que pasa un año, y por el otro lado nos lamentamos que cada vez falta menos para llegar a nuestra espectativa de vida.
Sí. Necesitamos motivación. Pero no la busquemos en algo tan estúpido como el correr del tiempo. Busquemos la motivación en mejorarnos... en juntarnos con quienes queremos y amamos, tomar unas copas, estar alegres... divertirse, y relajarse. No es que eso nos haga sentir nuevos. Pero sí, nos hace sentir queridos, y que valemos para alguien. Qué mayor motivación podemos encontrar en el mundo?
Yo no les deseo un feliz año... les deseo una feliz vida.
Alan Schamber.
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