I never agreed with the statement – „Live here and now”.
I hear it over and over again and in different variants. This strong grounding in the present has become the basis for various therapeutic systems, philosophical systems, and even entire religions. Many books have been written on this subject and many words have been spoken.
And I am not convinced…
Every now and then I find somewhere or hear the sentence: „The past is no more – and the future is not yet. Only the present is real.”
It seems so logical. And we could actually close the topic.
From the point of view of the clock, it is just like that.
However, not from a human point of view.
I am more interested in the psychological perception of time – not time as a physical quantity.
I’ve always felt otherwise – that everything is equally important to me – past, present and future. I will emphasize the word again – „equally”.
Just ask yourself one simple question:
„If your present situation is painful, do you really want to live in the present moment? Here and now?”
I do not think so.
In my favorite movie („The English Patient”), the title character knows that his life is about to end. He is immobilized on the bed. The chances of a change are practically none. His life drains out of him overnight. His thoughts travel thousands of kilometers from where he is. From a monastery in Tuscany – they wander to the desert or to hotels in Cairo.
Sometimes it is not known if he is still breathing – or if he is already gone. He doesn’t know who he really is… Nobody knows. He only has memories and a copy of Herodotus’ book. So much is known about him.
The sounds he hears, or the words someone says – bring back memories of him. His thoughts wander elsewhere. He lives almost exclusively in the past.
He is where he wants to. Where he is…happy.
In Viktor Frankl’s book „Man’s Search for Meaning” – the author touches on the issue of a higher purpose. For people in the concentration camp, it was the hope of the future and the realization of this purpose. It was fuel for their life. It is these people, embedded in the future – who were the strongest. Frankl wrote about real events. He also wrote about himself. He was a prisoner of the camp.
Of course, I’m not talking about a personality disorder when someone is unable to get out of the past or is still on the run into the future. They are also usually returns to the painful past, or a morbid fear of the future.
I am talking about a good past and a good future.
Such „time wandering” can help you get through difficult times. And there is nothing wrong with that.
Good memories that are in us – are not the past. As they are in us – they are present. There are flavors, smells, sensations in them … People we met.
And dreams and plans? …. They are also a reality – that we have just started to create.
Sometimes it’s good when „Here and now” – we change to „There and then”