We live in a world where we are bombarded with messages––billboards, TVs, newspapers, our electronics––and there is a frequent, niggling sensation that we could be doing something else, something more, in each moment, especially when we are constantly made aware of individuals that seem more attractive and successful than us at every turn. It’s exhausting. It is very easy––too easy––to curl into ourselves and think, “what was I doing when this twelve-year-old was accepted into Harvard? What was I doing when this athlete trained to become the fastest person on the planet?” It can get depressing, to feel so inconsequential and inadequate in comparison.
Figure 1: book advertisement by Orion Publishing via Twitter
Commercials and ads prey on this gloom: we are assaulted with inspiring takes on illness that encourage us to seize control of our lives NOW, or treat ourselves to a new, affordably priced car and delicious fast food NOW. We are persuaded that there’s no time like the present to stand up and do things; commercials like these encourage the viewer to say, “you know what, you’re right. Why not now?” This no-time-like-the-present mechanism is called kairos, an ancient Greek word referring to an opportune moment to take action.
A more romantic example of kairos can be found in Disney’s Ratatouille, when Remy the rat has just befriended Linguini the human, and embarks on his journey to become a true chef.
An old-timey movie is playing just before Remy falls asleep, its audio sweeping over the tiny apartment. The woman onscreen wants to know: “But why here? Why now?” The man replies, “Why not here? Why not now? What better place to dream than in Paris?” The dialogue is a device used to wrap up the sleepy scene and assure the viewer that Remy has seized the day to make his dream come true. It is a romantic implication of kairos; this tiny rat wants to be the best chef in Paris, and when circumstances arose to jumble his life around and gave him a chance to realize his goal, he took it. Although the movie is ficticious, the message to follow one’s dreams rings clear: Ratatouille says if the rat can do it, so can you…and there’s no better time than the present to get started.