Don't wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking!
'Kairos' isn't magical, you got to work for it.
Through 208 episodes and 9 long years, the much celebrated TV show How I Met Your Mother left a very important message for its viewers: when you are in the right place at the right time, everything fits and it all goes right; and as the protagonist finally meets the ‘mother’ in the last episode, I only wonder if he knew that it was all through the gift of Kairos, that the show got its beautiful ending. As we all eagerly await for that perfect moment to find us, I googled the sentence, “right place at the right time”, which led me to a very interesting article on how to be in the right place at the right time. It speaks vastly about how kairos, the most essential key to success is not entirely abstract, and timing is anything but a play of luck. Kairos is in your own hands.
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| The protagonist finally has his chance encounter in the last ep of HIMYM |
We extensively discuss the significance of timing and how a
situation at any given time extensively inspires the outcome. Being from a
strict family, seeking permission to go out was a laborious exercise. I would calculate
all the ways the situation could go wrong, and wait for that very specific,
post-dinner elated time-frame to ask for that much awaited permission to go out
for a party. Moods had to be analyzed and words had to carefully chosen, for the
desired outcome (a simple ‘yes’!). But I had to work towards it! I had to
ensure the best behavior, make sure the meal was satisfactory, and be careful
of my tone. Go wrong with any one of those, and the kairos had been missed.
After having analyzed the concept of timing, I have come to
a conclusion that it is a catalyst. A kairotic moment does not simply appear
out of thin air, but is found in the midst of an ongoing action. If you are
then able to incorporate this gift of timing in your path, it provides you the
shortcut to your goal. In the 2017 Tournament of Nations Women’s soccer
tournament, the US women’s team was losing 3-1 to the Brazilian team. The lack
of enthusiasm on the Brazilian team’s defense end was evident thereafter, and
the US Captain realized that just in time. With the last 10 minutes in hand,
the US team aligned itself in a way to tackle the Brazilian team with a greater
zeal than earlier; and a game that was assumed a clear loss, was turned to a
4-3 win for the team of US footballers. 10 minutes is a short span for 3 goals;
but as they say - a stitch in time, saves nine (quite literally in the case of
this football team).
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| Megan Rapinoe celebrates her 85th minute goal |
Would the protagonist of How I Met Your Mother have ever met the mother, had he not decided to talk to this stranger because of the rains, even though destiny had presented her right in front of him? Would the US soccer team have won the game if they would have already lost hope after what appeared to have been a clear loss? Would I , or any other teenager with strict familial restrictions ever be able to step out of the house, if we would just wait for the miraculous moment where our parents tell us "you should be out on this beautiful day"? NO! The use of kairos in life is only possible when there is already a base/situation available for it to present itself in. The ancient Kairos was a wise man. His wouldn't fly around the world, sprinkling pixie dust that miraculously gifted humans with 'the perfect timing' (assuming he did actually exist). His power, or so it was said to be, was heuristic, or simply put - to enable a person to discover or learn something for themselves. And if one could so at the right time, in the words of Kipling, "Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it."
I enjoyed how you described your personal experiences with karios to develop this post. There is obviously a desire to craft a situation to fit your needs to get what you want, and I think you did a nice job of explaining this.
ReplyDeleteI think there are different types of kairos, if that makes sense. Timing has to depend on a lot of factors, and how good you are at recognizing them. People who can manipulate these factors can create their own kairos, but people who don't just take it as it comes. Sometimes things just happen! Things pop out of nowhere, despite being prepared or not. But, I agree, since "life is what you make of it".
ReplyDeleteAlso, totally different note, I think the face the woman on the right in the Megan Rapinoe picture is surprisingly funny because she looks almost angry or >:O
I really like your examples used to describe the concept of kairos, Shwetanc! Though I have never seen the television series, How I Met Your Mother, I can already tell that the show must be one of comedy and feeling if the main character is simply waiting for the "right place at the right time" as you described. I am completely in agreement that our actions should be thought through carefully if we aim to achieve a specific outcome like getting approval to go out on a Friday night. One piece of advise I might give in relation to this example is to maybe "up the ante" in regards to one's daily attitude and use of kairos. My reasoning is based off of the idea that sometimes, if kairos is used only a couple of times for large objectives, one's parents might catch on to their child's personal methods and techniques through kairos. I find the concept of kairos rather intriguing mainly because of recognizing the appropriate timing, taking advantage of the moment, and also because of the required "sneak factor," so to say. I find that my actions and use of kairos, especially with my parents, needs to be very subtle in order to get a night out on Friday, for example, since my parents know me too well, and they can tell when I am trying to butter them up a little bit.
ReplyDeleteThis was such an interesting blog to read! Although I have never seen the show HIMYM I sorta know its premise and I like the way you related it to kairos. Also, I really enjoyed the example in the article you linked. Kairos refers more to than just timing and location it has to do with other factors as well! :)
ReplyDeleteShwetanc, I enjoyed your personal description of finding the right kairos with your parents, and I can definitely relate. When I was little, I always chose the perfect moment to ask my mom to have my friend sleepover. However, I would also agree that timing is a play of luck. I am a firm believer in everything happens for a reason. In our best and worst moments, kairos is in effect by shaping our individual destinies.
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