One of the determinants in the ordering of human life is time. About everything we do we are in the habit of asking ourselves if we will have time to perform a certain action, or if at that particular moment, it will be useful to us. Because it is such a diluted aspect in our lives, it is not common for us to stop to reflect on time and how we have the power to turn it into a useful and fundamental resource, or, when poorly managed, into failed, unproductive and idle attempts to live life. This short paper does not attempt to enter the complex debates of philosophers and physicists regarding the constitution and perception of time. Rather, a brief reflection about time, techné and praxis.
Who has never, influenced by a musical idol, been tempted to play an instrument, start a band and go out singing and playing around? Or, under the effects of a reading whose author had impeccable writing, did you want to write books and poetry? Who never wished to have an athletic performance like that of that admired sportsman? Or have you ever struggled with a few extra pounds and wished to go on a diet that was lost along the way? These questions, although distinct in terms of occurrences, share time and purpose in common. Like everything you do in life, you need to consider time and purpose.
How much you want something will not be enough if you do not use time investment, improvement in execution and deliberation on the action. Anyone who plays an instrument knows that excellence will only be achieved through expert execution. For those who practice high performance sports, the committed practice of physical exercises guarantees the conditioning required to participate in competitions. And even for the realization of a diet, doing the proposed items well is necessary to achieve the final purpose. Doing well is imperative for anyone who wants to invest satisfactorily in time.
Techné, one of the three distinct parts of human knowledge developed by Aristotle, is associated with productive knowledge that explains how the act or object arises (KAVVANAGH, 2013). Techné is, in this sense, the perfectibility of the ability to do something. Knowing how to do, however, is not enough to give legitimacy to a decision taken, and that, when practiced, will affect the way of living as well as the way of distributing time and influencing the individual’s choices. For this, praxis, which is the element of ethical action, makes him act with a rational and ethical orientation, providing the subject with the ability to establish the motivations of certain actions and to consider why performing them is good for him.
The action process is not effortless. When deciding why certain actions are good and why they should be implemented, the process of acting, doing – and doing until you become excellent, techné – demands time, dedication, persistence, certain resignations and sometimes frustrations. However, it is necessary for those who want to be good at what they do. Whether you play an instrument, sing, play sports, write poetry, books or articles, and even go on a diet, if you do it with mediocrity, the time dedicated will not be an investment, but a waste. For those who want excellence in what they do, it is necessary to keep in mind that, to do well, it’s necessary time.
References:
KAVANAGH. D. Problematizing practice: MacIntyre and management. SAGE Journals, [s.l.], v. 20. ed. 01, p. 103 – 115, jan. 2013.