The Curse of NOW

A popular catch cry of the New Age is to live in the NOW. To live in the past is counterproductive, one is likely to hang on to resentment: Move on. And we are not to worry about the future … worrying is no help, it leads to depression and anxiety.

But there is one respect in which living in the Now is detrimental for humans, who - as a matter of fact - don’t have a choice: We have to live in the Now, we can't live any other way. Our mind confines us to this moment; but not only that, it captivates us here. The Now actually is a prison we cannot escape, even if we wanted to.

Time

So why is this bad for humanity? There are other terms for “living in the Now” ... inertia, inaction, passivity, apathy, stagnation, lethargy, indolence. Living in the Now, at its worst, can mean to disregard lessons from the past that should've been learnt; it could mean to be oblivious to the requirements of our future wellbeing.

The human condition favours the status quo, as we succumb to living in the Now ... we resist change. Change is too hard. This is a problem in view of Climate Change. The Now, the status quo, suits us; indeed, everything seems to be going ok Now, especially if we’re middle class, living in comfort, with running water and air con ... and while our share portfolios are loaded with shares from the fossil fuel industry.

But since we must face the future ... living in the Now can be a curse.