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Neither technology nor efficiency can acquire more time for you, because time is not a thing you have lost. It is not a thing you ever had.
James Gleick
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote suggests that time is not something we possess or can regain; rather, it is a fundamental aspect of existence that we experience.

James Gleick's quote emphasizes the elusive nature of time, highlighting that despite our desire to manage or optimize it through technology and efficiency, we cannot actually 'acquire' more time. It posits that time is not a resource to be hoarded or lost but a continuous experience that shapes our lives, implying that accepting this reality can lead to a more meaningful engagement with the present.

Themes

TimeTechnologyEfficiencyPhilosophyExistence

In practice

Example use cases

Using this quote in a presentation about time management.

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I'm trying to look at many, many things in modern life that I believe are going faster, and I'm trying to look at why they're going faster and what effect they have on us. We all know about FedEx and instant pudding, but it doesn't mean we've looked at all the consequences of our desire for speed.
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Everything we care about lies somewhere in the middle, where pattern and randomness interlace.
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Every time a new technology comes along, we feel we're about to break through to a place where we will not be able to recover. The advent of broadcast radio confused people. It delighted people, of course, but it also changed the world.
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