Inflection Point

The long-ago Greeks had two words for time: Kronos (χρόνος) and Kairos (καιρός).

Kronos is chronological time, sequential time, the metered time of the regimented left hemisphere of the brain.

Kairos is an inflection point, a time-window of indeterminate length during which something consequential happens.

On the other side of the Kairos, things are forever different.

Kronos time is quantitative and accurate.

Kairos time is qualitative and important.

The thing about moments of Kairos is that you can see them most clearly when they are behind you.

We make decisions every day, and with every choice we make we reach a point of no return, and wonder what might have been.

But I think you will agree that some decisions have longer arms than others. They are more consequential. They carry heavier Kairos and more profoundly affect our future.

I believe we will be swimming in Kairos moments during 2022, 2023, and 2024. I can see their silhouettes on the horizon at twilight. Walk outside this evening, just as the sun disappears below the western edge of the world, and consider the silhouettes of events that have not yet happened.

These moments of consequence float like icebergs on a rising tide of misinformation, and are blown toward us by the breath of newscasters. One-by-one, they will soon begin to arrive.

The frustrating reality is that we won’t be making these pivotal decisions individually; we will be making them collectively.

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with you.

Roy H. Williams

Roving reporter Rotbart is wandering the wide world with his family, but he and MondayMorningRadio will return to us after Labor Day.