Time Orientation - Essay Example

These three orientations, regardless of culture gender or educational background one has, are often experienced by everyone contrary to what is shown in the video where certain cultures are more inclined to a particular orientation. Perhaps there is a truth to that matter though but, the point is, people somehow come to some points in their lives where they experience the three orientations. In this paper, this writer’s personal assessment of his own past, present and future orientations will be discussed in detail along with the benefits and disadvantages of such orientations.

When times are tough and there seems to be no hope for the future, I tend to think about the good times in my past. I think about the people who love and care for me and the events that I enjoyed as a younger person. This is perhaps because I feel like it is a way of escape from the difficulties I am going through. After a few moments, I often feel better and encouraged so that I challenge myself to face my present circumstances instead of run away from them or feel disappointed about things.

This is an advantage one can have from reminiscing about the past. The joys of life experienced in the past become reminders that life is not always bad. Moreover, bad experiences can also serve as inspirations, showing that despite the bad times, one has overcome and is still surviving in the present despite the difficulties. Nevertheless, there are also disadvantages in dwelling in the memories of the past. For instance, in my experience, whenever I am reminded about the people who have hurt me, I feel angry and eventually, I do not feel so good.

Hatred and unforgiveness build up in my mind and heart and I tend to waste my time thinking about how I could get even with them. Thinking so much about the present in the meantime also has its advantages and disadvantages. Whenever I observe other people who seem to have nothing to do but enjoy themselves, I get envious and think that I deserve such enjoyment as much as they do. Therefore, I seek to be with friends rather than stay at home and study. Watching movies and playing video games make me forget about my problems or any unpleasant situations so that I spend much time in front of the television or computer.

These indeed give pleasure but they also are bound to make nothing out of a man because they are not productive. A good future is sacrificed for the little contentment of a man who dwells in the present. Surely, enjoyment is not only wonderful but is also important especially in this fast-paced and busy world because it relieves a person from stressful days. Nevertheless, staying too long in the present can lead to a failure to prepare for future needs. Being future oriented on the contrary can make a person’s life miserable than it ought to be.

Personally, when I think about Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, I tend to imagine myself being the next person to discover the next great creation in the world of computers, become famous and wealthy. This often leads me to dream and plan, think about what kind of house I want, imagine myself in the latest car model and give a beautiful woman the best wedding there can ever be. This leads me to demand too much from myself, sometimes forgetting to give myself a little pleasure. I become stingy not only to other people but also to myself whenever I dwell in my future orientation.

However, it cannot be denied that this situation is good considering that there are