i agree that we think of the past and worry about the future, but predominantly i believe we are present tense beings.
its mostly because the memories we have in the past are always distorted by the present (e.g. regret is strongly a function of the present, not the action that was undertaken, but the present point it lead to), but for instance joy and happiness as a memory quickly loses its touch (though bad memories can become worse).
Also worrying about the future, or hoping for a better one, tends (for me at least) to be something that has a direct impact on the present ... so the future is extrapolated backwards to the today; for instance hopes for the future will largely be seen as to have a direct impact and are also naturally based on what the present priorities and demands are (e.g. one wants love in the future, but that future is generally very very short term, same as financial goals, success etc.) ... so i believe that with the future the basic premise is the sooner the better, which ends up being so close to the present that it makes little difference
The past defines us, without our experiences we would not be us. So you natually think about the things that shape your itno the person you are today. Agree that in the present the feeling of guilt and missed opportunities distort our way of looking at the past. but what good does that bring? Can you change anything. No. You can 'learn' and try not to make the same mistake again, but for some people they are so entrenched about the past that they practically live in it.
My point is that while in 'preset' you are constatly looking back, to learn from mistakes, to be happy about things dne right etc etc
Thinking about the future is a way to feel like you have control over things. You plan and scheme and make contingency plans... but in the end how much of your plans get realised? this creates a loop, You plan, things take a natural course which is toally different than your plans, you sepnd the present thinking about past and how you could have done things diffrently.... and the cycle starts again
Maybe its just me because I look at it passively. Where at one end I beleivet that you can impact your future, on the other side it depends on how strong of a person you are to take charge of life
i think passivity in itself is a choice, and not necessarily a weak one .... weakness is a standard thats normally placed on people by others with little empathy, understanding and emotional intelligence ...
now putting that aside ... i would simply say that everything is through the lens of the present. the past is interpreted by the present. its not what you felt then, but what you feel now about what happened then (which is pretty stupid), and the same for the future so in that sense i think everything is present tense because humans suck at everything else ...
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present
The why is that we spend so much time in thinking about the past and worrying abotu the future?
i agree that we think of the past and worry about the future, but predominantly i believe we are present tense beings.
its mostly because the memories we have in the past are always distorted by the present (e.g. regret is strongly a function of the present, not the action that was undertaken, but the present point it lead to), but for instance joy and happiness as a memory quickly loses its touch (though bad memories can become worse).
Also worrying about the future, or hoping for a better one, tends (for me at least) to be something that has a direct impact on the present ... so the future is extrapolated backwards to the today; for instance hopes for the future will largely be seen as to have a direct impact and are also naturally based on what the present priorities and demands are (e.g. one wants love in the future, but that future is generally very very short term, same as financial goals, success etc.) ... so i believe that with the future the basic premise is the sooner the better, which ends up being so close to the present that it makes little difference
sorrie for the poor explanation
The past defines us, without our experiences we would not be us. So you natually think about the things that shape your itno the person you are today. Agree that in the present the feeling of guilt and missed opportunities distort our way of looking at the past. but what good does that bring? Can you change anything. No. You can 'learn' and try not to make the same mistake again, but for some people they are so entrenched about the past that they practically live in it.
My point is that while in 'preset' you are constatly looking back, to learn from mistakes, to be happy about things dne right etc etc
Thinking about the future is a way to feel like you have control over things. You plan and scheme and make contingency plans... but in the end how much of your plans get realised? this creates a loop, You plan, things take a natural course which is toally different than your plans, you sepnd the present thinking about past and how you could have done things diffrently.... and the cycle starts again
Maybe its just me because I look at it passively. Where at one end I beleivet that you can impact your future, on the other side it depends on how strong of a person you are to take charge of life
i think passivity in itself is a choice, and not necessarily a weak one .... weakness is a standard thats normally placed on people by others with little empathy, understanding and emotional intelligence ...
now putting that aside ... i would simply say that everything is through the lens of the present. the past is interpreted by the present. its not what you felt then, but what you feel now about what happened then (which is pretty stupid), and the same for the future so in that sense i think everything is present tense because humans suck at everything else ...
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