The film In Time, with Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, is set in 2169 where people are genetically engineered to stop ageing when they reach their 25th birthday, when a one-year countdown on their forearm begins. At zero, the person "times out" and dies. This is a world in which time has become the universal currency, transferred directly between people or stored in "time capsules". You work for time, spend time, save time and so on. The rich earn huge sums and essentially become immortal, while the rest beg, borrow or steal to make it through the day.

This week I re-watched the film as I was keen to draw some insights from this fascinating concept. I believe, that time is the currency of our world too, although slightly different to the film of course.

We often view the world as if money makes it turn. Yet, money, which is a fairly new intervention in the grand scheme of history, has converted the original currency of time into something that is more readily exchangeable. Time allows us many pleasures, from time with loved ones, to working towards things we enjoy, time spent away on holiday and new experiences. But we often get confused as we assume that money is the thing we need for these things.

Money buys healthcare, security, nutrition and a roof over your head. However, in order to get money we must exchange our time for it. Money is therefore a trade-able, exchangeable currency in comparison to time which can't in itself buy these things; time has to be translated into money first. The film skips this translation and instead everything is brought and sold with time, money is simply not in their vocabulary. A bus ride costs an hour, a lunch 30 minutes and so on.

The film follows the story of a man, who has little time, having to work each day to survive, often only having '24 hours' in his wallet. He suddenly gets given a hundred years and travels to the 'rich part of town' where he finds that more time doesn't equal a better life. We get caught up with the fact that more money is better, but in reality we should want more time, but even then up to a limit.

I think the films concept provides many good thinking points. Do we view time as the currency? How much value do we place on money? How would things be different if they cost time and not money? Is there such a thing as too much time or money? When buying things directly with time, would it feel differently? How important is time to you?

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