PHYSICS: WEEK 1: THE MEANING OF TIME




“You going be late for da potluck at Kailua beach!”
“No worries brah, I stay on Hawaiian time.”

The concept of time varies from culture to culture.  Having grown up in Hawaii, I was used to the expression of doing things in "Hawaiian time," which describes a relaxed attitude to scheduling.  In order to understand where this came from, we have to look at ancient Hawaiian history. The Hawaiians lived in close association with the rhythm of nature by following the cycles of the moon and the ocean.  Their concept of time was defined by nature and therefore contained boundaries that were flexible compared to our modern definition of time.

As we look further into how various cultures perceive time, we discover that many share similar views to the ancient Hawaiians, such as the Hopi tribe of Arizona whose language lacks any description of a linear perspective of time.  It seems that the the farther away humans disassociate from the cycles of nature, the more rigid our attitude becomes in regards to adhering to the man-made constraints of scheduling.

"I missed da herbs quiz today cuz I wen stop by Jimmy's Deli for one bacon bagel."
"Brah, you live in da Bay Area now so stop doing holo holo and get off da Hawaiian time!"


Comments

  1. UnknownMay 12, 2018 at 4:02 PM

    I appreciate the correlation you bring between time cycles that are shaped by tides, the moon and sun and the time cycles formed by the modern clock. It makes me think that if the modern western paradigm were likened to a disease pattern, then perhaps the clock would be a symptom of the disease, a manifestation of the reductionism and rigidity that informs so many of the things embedded in this culture.

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  2. AnonymousMay 12, 2018 at 9:01 PM

    Thank you for sharing this golden nugget about Hawaiian culture. The laid back feel of the Hawaiians and the lack of concept of time by the Hopi remind me of the 250yr old Taoist, Li Ching-Yuen’s saying about how to live a long prosporous life. He said, “Retain a calm heart, sit like a turtle, walk swiftly like a pigeon, and sleep like a dog.” Each of these animals do not concern themselves with time and live life in the moment without consideration of whats to come or what has passed. Forgive and let live — ho’oponopono, retaining a calm heart. That is all for now ����

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