– Is time a real, tangible thing, or just a concept invented by humans that doesn’t actually exist?

933 views

Also, if time does exist, doesn’t there have to be a definable beginning or end? Otherwise it’s just infinity which to me suggests the absense of time.

I partially read “The Discoverers” by Daniel Boorstin several years ago and he discussed how different societies conceptualized of time and how they kept time. And it has had me wondering ever since. Then I started exploring Zen Buddhism which emphasizes the present moment as the only tangible reality, along with the illusion of the ego, which only furthered my questioning.

EDIT – I am aware that the concept of time is based on the revolution of the Earth and it’s moon. However, that is just how humans conceive of time. That’s not proof of time itself.

EDIT 2 – The explanation of timespace and relativity is the best from an objective point of view. No matter how much I read or watch, it was always a bit hard to grasp but it makes sense in terms of change or entropy. The reality of time being flexible vs the human perception of time being linear and unchangeable gets closer to what I am asking.

EDIT 3 – “Exist” is a tricky word.

In: 7871

40 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Time exists but not as anything per se. So you can’t pick time out of the universe and examine it as though it were a thing. Also at the same time (no pun intended), time does not exist. This is because the past isn’t hidden somewhere and the future doesn’t exist, so now is all there is.

The universe is paradoxical and contradictory. This makes reality interesting.

You are viewing 1 out of 40 answers, click here to view all answers.