Early humans didn’t know their age or how many days had passed. They tracked time by birdsong, moonrise, and sun position. Then trains required standardized clocks, but neighboring towns could still differ by five minutes. Now everyone carries synchronized clocks on their phones, and being one minute late to a meeting is visible and judged.
Joe’s point: as time measurement became more precise, time anxiety increased proportionally. But time itself is still “just an illusion, a story that we all believe.” Recognizing the arbitrary, constructed nature of time — even while still living within its social constraints — “helps relax the system a little bit” and creates space between yourself and the clock.
“As that time has gotten more and more precise, we’ve become more and more anxious with that time. But the whole thing is still just an illusion.”
This recognition is the prerequisite for the three practical strategies that follow: thinking like a farmer, finding leverage, and taking the 30,000-foot view.