Time has no Time

The pace of modern life is in constant acceleration leaving us perpetually breathless. Our existence stretches out like a horizon marked by infinite vanishing points, and, as much as we look to the horizon, the points of reference keep changing, forcing us onto another path.. As Inclán (2018) puts it, this is a recurring astonishment that renders us immobile. It is a temporal dimension free from constraints, where we reside in the present moment, unburdened by the weight of the past or the uncertainties of the future. This timeless temporality, which I refer to as the hyper-present, decontextualizes and romanticizes the past, while we conceal the uncertainties of the future by saturating our lives with a relentless stream of information and commodities.

Capitalism stands as the framework upholding our hyper-present reality, embodying the core of our interconnected global society. It epitomizes advancement, intertwined with an excessive surplus, signifying an era of hyper-abundance. This societal machinery thrives on exploiting both our environment and human bodies. Fueled to an extreme by a marketplace of experiences and life-guiding influences, we find ourselves in a state of hyper-stimulation, willingly subjecting ourselves to exploitation and diversion. As aptly put by Andújar (2020), we all participate in this cycle of consumption and production, operating under the banner of growth, progress, and the pursuit of individual emancipation within the societal framework.

The digital revolution, in tandem with globalization, has inundated us with an ever-intensifying flood of information reproduction. This infosphere, where knowledge and tools for action coexist, has transformed into an endless labyrinth. The sheer volume of information now surpasses the bounds of human biology, rendering complete absorption an impossibility. As Berardi (2003, 40) suggests, “the battleground has shifted to time itself — time of the mind, cyber-time.” These two temporal dimensions both challenge and internally clash in the formation of our existence. A perpetual tension arises from the insatiable cycle of consumption and production, transpiring within a time so thoroughly saturated with information that it transcends our very being.

We find ourselves entwined by our own creation, yet the totality of this creation eludes our grasp, leaving us overwhelmed and seemingly ensnared in a hyper-present that has commodified both time and information. Our existence is propelled by a feverish march of capitalist progress, upholding the human-globalization nexus, all the while seemingly devoid of the temporal luxury to contemplate either the past or the future.

On a contrasting note, we stand at a pivotal juncture where human presence acknowledges its role as a geological agent transcending its own temporal boundaries. The actions of our globally interconnected species carry repercussions that reverberate throughout the planetary ecosystem, disrupting and reshaping the delicate equilibrium that underpins both human and non-human existence. These intricate harmonies exist beyond the confines of our immediate temporal framework. The environment operates to a different rhythm, unbothered by the urgencies of our human temporalities. Swift and profound alterations to the environment are being inflicted, a transformation caused, without regard, by the ‘hyper-present’ state and the relentless pursuit of ´progress´.

Ironically, humans find themselves in a paradoxical state of existing as entities seemingly devoid of temporal boundaries, while concurrently wielding a force that extends far beyond their own temporal limits. This paradox creates a discordant convergence within both our societal and personal realms. Time becomes a realm of saturation and acceleration, yet it simultaneously beckons us to embrace a responsibility that transcends the immediacy of our capitalist hyper-present and compels us to contemplate the broader implications of our actions.