Another Kind of Time – A Conversation with Jenny Odell
Mar 18, 2025
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In this engaging conversation, Jenny Odell, an author and artist renowned for her book 'Saving Time', challenges conventional views of time. She explores the contrast between mechanical Kronos time and qualitative Kairos time, urging listeners to embrace nature's interruptions. Odell discusses the significance of seasonal changes, connecting them to climate justice and personal well-being. Through her insights, she invites us to redefine our relationship with time, highlighting the beauty of living in sync with the natural world and the possibilities that arise from a more mindful existence.
Mechanized time creates rigid societal structures, limiting our perceived control over life and fostering a conveyor-belt existence.
Language influences our perception of time, reinforcing cultural beliefs that equate time with money and affecting our relationship with nature.
Self-care, when viewed through the lens of climate justice, emphasizes community resilience and the interconnectedness of personal and global challenges.
Deep dives
Challenging Standardized Time
Standardized, mechanized time influences society's perception of time, often equating it with money, which creates a rigid framework for daily life. This framework can lead individuals to feel as though they have limited control over their time and lives, making existence feel like a predictable conveyor belt. The discussion encourages a shift towards a more organic understanding of time, one that recognizes natural rhythms rather than strict schedules. By embracing ‘kairos’ time over ‘chronos’ time, individuals can explore what it means to live outside the constraints of conventional time and cultivate a deeper connection to the world around them.
The Power of Language in Perception
Language plays a crucial role in shaping how we perceive and relate to time. The phrase 'time is money' reflects a troubling cultural belief that equates time with value, complicating our relationship with nature and our own experiences. By understanding that our language influences our framework of thinking, individuals can begin to unearth the strangeness of such entrenched ideas, prompting a reflection on alternative ways of defining and experiencing time. This process can foster a more profound appreciation for the fluidity and richness of time, enabling a deeper engagement with our surroundings.
Interpersonal Relationships and Time
The notion of 'self-care' is often seen as a distinctly individual pursuit, yet it is deeply intertwined with climate justice and broader social contexts. Conversations surrounding self-care during climate emergencies highlight the tension between individualistic time constraints and a collective understanding of care. Seeking help and reciprocity in relationships can enrich both self-care and activism for climate justice. By recognizing that time spent caring for oneself and others fosters community resilience, individuals can begin to bridge the divide between the personal and global challenges they face.
Finding Meaning through Observations
Observing minute details in the natural world can reshape one’s understanding of time and presence. An individual experiment with closely watching a tree reveals that what seems static is, in fact, a dynamic process of change, reflecting the time that has passed as well as potential futures. This practice of 'unfreezing' time through focused observation allows individuals to appreciate the interconnectedness of life and the value of each moment. Such observations invite a recognition of the inherent aliveness in both human and non-human experiences, reinforcing the importance of being present.
Gardening Time and Its Rhythms
The concept of 'gardening time' suggests cultivating a relationship with time sensitive to natural rhythms rather than imposing uniformity. This perspective encourages recognition and celebration of diverse life rhythms, marking different phases as meaningful aspects of existence. By shifting focus from productivity to attunement with the seasons, individuals can discover deeper connections to their own lives and to the environment. Embracing this organic approach to time might inspire communal celebrations and engagements, allowing individuals to relish the uniqueness of moments as they unfold.
From the archive, this week’s episode is a conversation with author and artist Jenny Odell. Speaking about her book Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock, she challenges the social and cultural ideas that underpin standardized, mechanized time, and imagines how we might instead attune to the rhythms of the Earth and embrace interruptions that allow us to glimpse the inherent unpredictability and creativity of every moment. What choices, what futures, might become possible, she asks, if we stepped out of chronos time and towards a kairos time?