The Time Paradox (S.K.)

First of all I'd like to thank professor for accepting my suggestion and including 'The Time Paradox' in this semester's book list. Secondly I'd like to talk a bit about the optimal profile on time perspectives that Zimbaro mentions in the book.

To have a successful life:

1- People should be high on Past Positivity. It gives them roots.

2-People should be moderately high on future orientation. It gives them wings

3- People should be moderate on present hedonism. It gives them energy

4- People should be as low as possible on present fatalism and on past negativity. Nothing good comes from them.

5-irrespective of what their transcendental future time perspective looks like.

Now this seems a bit like counter intuitive because if you want to be successful you need to be very high on future orientation but Zimbardo claims the opposite. Focusing too much on the future makes you sacrifice family time, friend time, personal indulgences, hobbies and sleep. These altogether provide an obstacle for having a successful life.

Many of life's puzzles can be solved by understanding your time perspective and those of others.

The idea is so simple, so obvious but its consequences are very profound. (Philip Zimbardo)

S.K.

(Saimir Kamberi)