Why Not Everyone’s Time Is Worth the Same

You and I meet for lunch.

I know myself: I’m not someone who’s good at sitting still. So what do I do? I work out twice before we meet. I also take a moment of silence. And I read up on some interesting topics so we can talk about those. I also think about the things you’ve been through since we last met.

When I show up, you get my full attention. Not that throwaway attention like people who use their phones at dinner tables, or people who wear sunglasses while sitting outside (extremely impolite, since I can’t see where you’re looking), but real attention.

I once had a date with someone who was hungover. I left pretty soon.

Taking Time Out of the Equation

I never got a normal grade in physics. But I can still show you how smart people sometimes miss the fundamental flaws in things like E = mc².

What do you think sounds more certain? First, let’s translate E = mc² into normal language:

  • If this is this, then that is that.

Basically, your claim is that something is.

Now, let’s add something:

  • If this is this, then that is that all the time.

Which of these statements sounds more certain? The answer is actually the first one, without ‘all the time’ in it. Because by adding those extra words, it shows that you’ve thought about the conditions that could make it uncertain.

The first statement — and therefore all statements like E = mc² — come from an unbelievably high horse. What you're saying is that the thing just is. You’re not adding any observation, geography, time stamp, or specific object attached to it.

It’s like saying: “I know the exact future: it’s E = mc²,” while in reality, it’s obviously harder to grasp. A meteor could strike one second from now. There are outcomes nobody knows. New animals might start living today that have never existed before — you can’t put that into an equation.

How Math Should Look

More like normal language. By adding words, you show that you actually thought about it. A formula isn’t something like E = mc², but more like:

  • Energy (you could swap this with mass) = mass multiplied by the speed of light squared (you could swap this with energy)