Sarah Arnold-Hall

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The Second Kind of Time

I recently learned that the ancient Greeks perceived two different kinds of time:

  1. Chronos: The time we’re used to; forward-propelling time that goes in chronological order. Time is measured quantitatively.

  2. Kairos: The time we experience when we’re in “flow”. Time stands still. We’re totally present and involved in what we’re doing. We forget time exists. Time is measured qualitatively.

I love the idea of Kairos, and I want to experience more of it. I most frequently experience it when I’m dancing, chatting with friends, and particularly during the holiday season where normal to-dos are long forgotten and I can just be in the moment.

One of the ways I’m attempting to experience more Kairos is to detach myself physically from my phone – and all the apps in it. I just deleted nearly every app from my phone, and I’m LOVING it. That means any time I want to spend working needs to be on my computer, in my office. Anytime not there, I can’t work.

What could you do to experience more Kairos?