Is there such a thing as the past or the future? Do you only have the now?

Answer 1

Now there is a philosophy question! It involves so much partly because it is such a broad question: Heidegierian authenticity, heaven, ethics etc.. You can take every point of view in philosophy and religion and ask what are the consequences in terms of how I should live my life from this question's viewpoint. Personally, I think the now is all we get to use, the past is how we cohere ( remember who you were yesterday?), and the future is how we plan to bring down the next day's meal. Keep asking.

Answer 2

The 'now' is only present because it's in the 'now.'
It refers to the living moments, the moments that you live through directly. But the present only refers to the biologically living moments, while the past and the future can be alive mentally or in some other form.

Either way, the territory between present, past and future is not easily delimited. You take a breath now, but when you'll take the next breath, the breath you just took will be in the past. So to me, present, past and future are part of a circle, part of a continuous rhythm. You can progress in the present and move towards the future, but parts of the past can be alive in this cycle as active components.

Answer 3

No. They are each the same thing. We can view past, present and future in the same way. We can view with the negativity and hurt of what has happened, what is happening or what will happen. We can also view them as positives in the good things that have happened, are happening or will happen.

Whenever we consider past, the "now" or the future, we are not engaged in life, but being reflective or reflexive through thinking and speaking.

The now is important, but so is planning for the future and learning from the experiences of the past. Each time "zone" is important to us as a thinking species. Just avoid getting too caught up in thinking about any of them.

Answer 4

Only the future does not exist in reality because it has not occurred yet. We may die now, and then there would be no future, even in our minds. The past would have to exist, it has already happened, but again only in memories and photographs. The now is only what we have because it is the only thing we can experience right then. But that could just be in our own minds too.

Answer 5

Past happens every so much amount of time. In the near future our future will also become out past. So basically whats happening is our future is becoming out past, while our past is then transforming into our present, which was once our future. Meaning that the future turns to the present which instantly turns into the past. So that we have all three of them at one instance and the very little amount of time is indescribable because if you could keep chopping the amount of time in between it is so small but it would continue to keep going.

Answer 6

There are some good answers here already, but since I do not believe there is one "right" answer to this question, here's my point of view.
Western cultures tend to picture the future as something in front of us because that's where we are moving in to. Mayan people pictured the past in front of them because that's what they could really see. The future is in the back because it can't be seen.
You ask about the existence of the past and of the future, but you speak about the present as something that could or not belong to you, even though it's existence is the most fragile of them all.
So I'd say what is important is the way you choose to relate to time.
The past belongs to you if you accept it's teachings.
The future belongs to you if you try to make something out of it.
The present is yours if you get a hold of the past and build your future with it.
They all exist if you make them a part of you.

Answer 7

The events of the past are fact. Our interpretations of the past is fiction. We caste the future in terms of the past. And we spend too little time in the now moment. But that's all we have.

Answer 8

the helll.

if you dont have a past, you cant have a future.
if you only have a future, that means the present is not existing.
if you have a past but not a future, there will be no tomorrow.

simple.

of course there is a future and past. now is now. before now was the past. after now comes the future....unless you have no future, which means your life is going to perish very soon, but your not perishing YET, which means in the FUTURE u will be perishing.

so yes, there is both.

Answer 9

Yes!
(there IS a past, there IS a future, but you only have the NOW!)

Answer 10

The Past is yesterday and all the other yesterdays, and the future is anything further ahead than now. We only have now--oops, it's gone! But here's another one--NOW!!!
May God bless you.