Time is the one thing we are limited by but cannot control. Despotic regimes, expansive empires, corrupt politicians, and cultural revolutions all collapse over time.
Nothing really matters in that time. It flattens us all and we swim through it like goldfish in an aquarium. But what does time mean to you?
life by the clock
Think for a moment what life was like before we had the clock. What was life like before we divided the day into seconds, minutes and hours?
The fact is that we live every second of the day by the clock. We succumb to it. It gives us a certain sense of control, and yet there is nothing we can do to stop the passage of time.
Science calls it the arrow of time.This is the concept that time moves in only one direction.. It moves forward inexorably and relentlessly. It unfolds before us and we are caught in the many folds of time as our lives go on and on.
Related post:
But time wasn't always split that way and we weren't always trapped by the minutes. Before the clock, our ancestors had a different understanding of time. With no clocks to divide, time simply unfolded like a blanket between sunrise and sunset. We had a much more abstract idea of time.
Imagine this life without a clock to tell you when to get up. No alarm clock to wake you up to work. No clocks to live your life. Without knowing it, time plays a central role in our lives.
Every second of it is governed by the clock and divided time so that we can have efficient cities, efficient offices and efficient lives.
What does time mean to you?
The clock tattoo is not very common, although clocks can appear as secondary images in many tattoo designs. If you want a tattoo that represents time, then a larger tattoo with lots of detail is a great way to draw attention.
So what does time mean to you? What would a clock tattoo represent? Here are some of the most common meanings of clock and time tattoos:
- life and death
- our mortality
- The marker of a special event in a person's life or occasion
- reality and existence
- The concept of infinity
- love that is forever
enjoy the day
We live our daily lives without thinking about the infinity of time. We may look at the clock to catch the bus on time, but how often do we think about what time it really is and what it means to us?
The clock is a symbol oflife and death. Countless lives have come and gone as the arrow of time moves forward. And it will continue to march at every turn, even though our species is long gone and all our works are dust in the wind.
In the film Dead Poets Society we are confronted with the ideacarpe diem or seize the day. It's the notion that we should all make the most of our time becauseour time is limited. As far as we know, we have lives to live, and in order to truly live life, we must take advantage of every opportunity that comes our way.
In this sense, we try to rebel against time, enjoying life to the fullest, but with the awareness that we can never beat time. The best we can do is live our best life and do what we have to do to do as much as possible.
We never know what's coming, so we should enjoy each day and each moment as they come.
A clock tattoo can symbolize your desire to enjoy every moment. It can symbolize your understanding that someone's life is limited and that is why it is important to seize every moment and make the most of it.
In this context, a clock can also symbolize the endless cycle of life and death. Nothing counts in the face of time. In combination with the image of a flower or other living creature, the meaning of life and death becomes even clearer.
Related post: Tattoos celebrating life's journeys: growth, change and new beginnings
A symbol of personal freedom
Even being caught in time and within time, a clock tattoo can also representFreedom. When we understand that we can never escape the confines of time, we also experience a certain sense of personal freedom and liberation.
Breaking free from work and the human sense of time can mean the kind of personal liberation that leads to a better life.
Imagine being fully aware that your life is temporary. All things have a beginning and an end, including your own life and that of family and friends.
When you understand this, you can rise above the daily passage of time and observe a larger part of life. This way you can understand that every action you take and every decision you make matters.
Related post: Escape Tattoos: Celebrate travel, travel and freedom
the endless cycle
In the Buddhist religion there is a concept called the Wheel of Dharma. This wheel with eight spokes represents the eight teachings of the Buddha and also the spiritual changes that take place as one follows the Buddha's path.
The Wheel of Dharma also symbolizes theEndless cycle of life, death and rebirth. It represents human life through time and spiritual time.
Instead of a clock, one can have a Wheel of Dharma tattoo to connect with Buddhist spiritual teachings and to represent the endless cycle of life, death and rebirth.
Related post: Buddha and Aum/Om Tattoo: Symbolism and Meaning
Should You Get a Time/Clock Tattoo?
The clock is one of those universal symbols that symbolize our understanding of what time is. And even if science doesn't fully understand how time works, it hasn't stopped us from exploring it in detail and endlessly philosophizing about it.
We fantasize about what it would be like to go back in time and correct our own mistakes. We even imagine what life will be like in the future.
A time or clock tattoo is for everyone simply because we are all within reach of time. We are all subject to the arrow of time. We can see time as a tyrant that is slowly destroying our days, or we can see it as a liberator that allows us to enjoy every moment as much as possible.
So what kind of time/clock tattoo should you get?
Here are a few ideas:
- A dark clock combined with a skull and crossbones can represent an understanding ofmortality and human frailty.
Related post: The symbolism and meaning of skull tattoos
- An antique grandfather clock is a classic design that represents the importance of tradition and can also indicate a personal connection to the swinging pendulum of time.
- The deformed clock is often seen in tattoos about surrealism, especially those inspired by Salvador Dali, and can be a more unique approach to the clock tattoo.
Related post: Complete Guide to Tattoo Styles
Diploma
Time is universal no matter who we are. He rules all things and each of us has our own personal relationship with Him.It doesn't matter if we are liberated by our knowledge of time or relate to the darker aspects of our own mortality, a clock tattoo can be a powerful symbol..
Related posts:
- The meaning and symbolism of an owl tattoo
- The meaning and symbolism of snake tattoos