time is money

in venerating others, we abandon our own worth.

“Thank you for your time,” a phrase I find myself using frequently in recent days, especially in the midst of my major change from Biology to Philosophy. At the end of case management appointments, dean’s office meetings, and counseling sessions, I try to voice my gratitude for the faculty members’ time. The fact that their job is to listen to my troubles and lead me to a resolution doesn’t mean the value of their time is to be diminished. Time is money! 

I was humbled during a doctor’s appointment last week, during which I tried to explain to my doctor why I was requesting specific documentation. In the middle of my explanation, he cut me off and said, “what do you need from me” as he continued typing on his laptop. I paused, shocked, then reminded myself, he’s a doctor, I better wrap this up, his time is money! 

Had this been a classmate, a friend, or even someone closer to my age, I’m sure I wouldn’t have reacted the same way to that remark. Although that would be unfair of me, for a title earned by extensive years of schooling and endless hours of studying doesn’t always equate to the amount of respect someone deserves.  

Though slightly impolite, my doctor asserted a form of dominance and implicitly demanded a level of respect with a simple remark. We are to do the same, politely of course, for our time is just as valuable as the next person’s. Titles, positions, awards, and societal status typically demand respect automatically, but without these embellishments, we must earn respect through our demeanor. Our time is money! 

However, this outward assertion of dominance must begin within ourselves. I’ve noticed that it is much easier to show regard to others than to myself…but why? It’s because I diminish my own value, of course. I put myself in a box when engaging in conversation, telling myself that I’m a measly college student with a messy room who overeats, skips the gym, sleeps in late, and wastes time doomscrolling. This allows me to put the other person on a pedestal fairly easily, for I am aware of my own flaws, but not theirs. Who’s to say they don’t have flaws too?  

My negative traits and lack of qualifications don’t inherently diminish my place in conversation, it’s my demeanor. Portraying myself as less-than allows the other person to take advantage of my vulnerability, while projecting confidence and carrying myself in an esteemed manner would almost force the other person to reciprocate.  

Time is money, but not only in a transactional, monetary sense. It’s a currency exchanged in every interaction, and we must remind others of its value, especially when we don’t have shiny trophies to do it for us.