It’s About Time: A Provocative Exploration

Time is the one thing every human has in common — and the one thing we experience with the greatest individuality. “It’s About Time” invites you to step into a provocative, boundary-pushing discussion about the dimensions, mysteries, and paradoxes of time. Is time a relentless, linear march, or is it a malleable, psychological phenomenon? Why do some hours evaporate while others stretch into eternity? How does our relationship with time shape who we are—and who we might become?

From a child’s endless summer afternoons to the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it pace of adult life, the perception of time is anything but constant. Neuroscientists suggest that our brains process time differently depending on novelty, attention, and emotion. This is why waiting for a diagnosis can feel like forever, while a vacation week vanishes in an instant. What does this reveal about the subjective nature of “reality”?

In today’s society, time is currency. We pay for convenience, for speed, for the illusion of control over our hours and days. Apps promise to help us “save time,” while workaholic culture glorifies those who squeeze productivity from every minute. But what are we really buying and selling? Is there an ethical dimension to how we value time — our own and others'? When does “saving time” actually cost us more than we think?

Our memories, too, are shaped by time’s passage. Some moments remain vivid decades later, while others dissolve into a vague haze. The process of remembering and forgetting isn’t just neurological — it’s deeply emotional and personal. What does it mean when a painful memory persists, or when a happy one fades away? Does the way we recall the past distort or enrich the present?

With age, time reveals itself as both enemy and friend. Children race toward adulthood, adults scramble to “make the most” of midlife, and elders reflect on what remains. For those who have escaped death, or who are confronting terminal illness, time takes on new urgency and meaning. Is time more precious when it feels scarce, or does its value remain the same?

Finally, consider time in the grandest sense: physicists argue that time may be an illusion, an emergent property of the universe, or a dimension like space. In quantum mechanics, time can flow differently depending on speed and gravity. What does it mean if time is not as real—or as linear—as we assume? How does that change our day-to-day existence?

“It’s About Time” promises a lively, multidimensional conversation. Whether you come to defend your calendar, challenge the ticking clock, or simply ask, “Where did the time go?”—your perspective matters. Join us for an evening that may just change how you look at every second.

Discussion Questions

1. How do you personally experience the passage of time? What moments in your life seemed to fly by or drag on, and why do you think that was?

2. When, if ever, is it worth paying money to “save time”? Are there moments when you feel time is more valuable than money, or vice versa?

3. How do memories interact with the passage of time? Can you trust your memory to accurately reflect your past, or does time inevitably distort it?

4. If you knew you had only a short time left to live, how would your relationship with time change—and why do you think that is?