The Greeks had a concept of Kairos time, which is not quantitative like our normal conception of time but qualitative — rich or empty, the meaningful hour or the hurried moment.
But what I admire most in the book is its peculiarly lyrical conception of time.
"Donald did not understand this, but then his conception of time was so circumscribed that it was astounding," O'Donnell writes.
She confesses to a "tragic conception" of time, finding it "impossible to imagine that it could bring progress".
Sometimes it was hard to understand the fluttering swallows' conception of time, as it was hard for them to understand the South Korean fixation with schedules.
I would be willing to pay more so I didn't have to contend with people who don't work, have no conception of time or why they're even there".
A linguist, Chiang thought, might learn such acceptance by deciphering the language of an alien race with a different conception of time.
The Greeks and Romans lived according to a distinctively Hellenic conception of time as an aspect of cosmic order and regularity.
The editor claims full responsibility for procrastinating over the post's production and publication, blaming his conception of time for the delay.
The conception of time as almost endlessly repeating itself in kalpas detracts, however, from the uniqueness of the first creation, and Brahma becomes little more than a demiurge.
"The Islamic conception of time is based essentially on the cyclic rejuvenation of human history through the appearance of various prophets," says Seyyed Hossein Nasr, professor emeritus of Islamic studies at George Washington University.
