Thread by @jeremywalter

The Greeks has two different words for "time" - Chronos and Kairos. In English (and well before English) we conflate the two. Which is unfortunate.

Chronos is quantitative. It measures time in minutes.

Kairos is qualitative. It measures time in moments.

Chronos focuses on sequence.
Kairos focuses on opportunity.

Chronos looks forward or backward.
Kairos looks at the present.

Chronos is the stuff that kills us.
Kairos is the stuff that brings us life.

Chronos is the "quotidian, the recurrent, the passing of the years."

Kairos is the "moment, the event, the suspension of the normal."

Chronos is personified in a few morbid ways - one of which is a father devouring his son, another as Father Time clipping Cupid's wings.

Kairos is personified as youthfulness, beauty, and a level of mischievousness.

Chronos asks "What time is it?"

Kairos asks "What time is it for?"

We look at the clock hands of Chronos as a perpetual, unceasing treadmill of sorts.

We don't pay attention to the clock hands of Kairos because time seems to stand still.

We've literally built our English language to focus on Chronos as time, and it dominates the preponderance of our calendars.

Kairos is what some people call "deep time" - and it's far more rare. Especially when we overfill our schedules and don't allow for it to happen.

The concept of time only grows more fascinating to me as I get older, largely because I want to be more aware of Kairos opportunities (especially with our kids), but also because I'm so much more aware how my Chronos time's sand is slipping through the hourglass.

Instead of wondering/worrying/planning how much I can get done in a 24 hour period of time, I'm trying to shift to think about what opportunities are available in that 24 hour period of time. It's a sneakily subtle difference with profound implications.

Further, distinguishing Chronos from Kairos adds nuance to the pseudo-truth "time = money." Money may in fact buy time, and maybe there are areas we should utilize it more wisely. But what are we to do with that time? And is it always measured by dollars?

In the midst of all of our individual Chronos time running without stopping, I think there's a lot of wisdom in pausing long enough to (1) seek out Kairos and (2) allow enough space for Kairos to happen.

Theophrastus said that "Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend."

Chronos time is going to be spent for us, intentionally or not.

Kairos time takes a bit more awareness to partake in, but indeed can be the most valuable thing we spend.