The Ever-Shifting Timeline: Past and Future as Converging Realities

In the grand tapestry of time, past and future often seem as distant as the stars above. However, when we unpack the inherent fluidity of time, we find that the division between these concepts is not as rigid as we might think. The same time that is just a fragment of a distant future becomes the present, and then the past, as quickly as the Earth spins.

Past and Future as a Continuous Flow

Consider a scenario in which you are writing this at 12:30 AM CST. Hour by hour, minutes by minutes, the timeline between 1:00 AM and now seems vast. However, in the course of a mere half an hour, that same 1:00 AM will become the present and then slip into the past. This demonstrates the fluidity of time, always changing shape based on our perspective. In a broader sense, the same time can be considered the future, the present, or the past, depending on the moment from which we are observing it.

Block Universe and Eternalism

This fluidity of time opens a fascinating gateway to the block universe theory, also known as eternalism. According to this theory, time is a dimension as real as space, existing simultaneously in its entirety. Just as we can imagine reading this answer at a different location around the world, individuals from past eras would exist in the same way as present individuals do, occupying their respective moments in time. To them, what is future to us now is the present, and what is the present for them is the past.

One can draw a parallel with the concept of generations. Just two generations ago, around 1971, significant events such as the Apollo 14 lunar landing and protests against the Vietnam War marked the era. Individuals born in those times would have seen the year 2000 as a distant future, and 2021 as a point far beyond that. Yet, in the present, we look back at 1971 as a point in the past that is both distant and not so long ago. Similarly, to those in the year 1971, the year 2021 was the furthest point in the future, much as we today view the year 2021 as a mere milestone.

Time Perception in a Historical Context

The way we perceive time evolves over generations. Just as people today view 1971 as the past, people back then viewed 2021 as the future. In the same vein, in 2021, we often perceive fifty years or more as points in the distant future. However, in 2071, people living then, even those who were young in the 1970s, will look back at 2021 as a time in the past. This perspective shows how time is inherently subjective and how our understanding of the past and future is shaped by the present moment.

One cannot help but ponder how this concept of time challenges our conventional understanding. It reminds us that every moment we live is a piece of both the past and the future. The past is the future and the future is the past, all bound by the continuous flow of the present.

While this question opens up numerous other avenues of thought, the eternalism perspective provides a profound insight into the nature of time. It is a continually evolving concept, influenced by our observations and experiences.