Kairos: The ancient Greek art of knowing when to act
I’d be a poor sniper. For one, I’m not great at following orders. I’ve yet to wear a uniform I didn’t find suffocating. But, more importantly, I have the patience of an agitated toddler. I get bored waiting for my shower to get warm in the mornings. A sniper, though, is excellent at waiting. They must sit for hours in one spot, waiting for a single moment. Long hours passing in single-sighted fixation for that split second of lethal agency. In World War II, Lyudmila Pavlichenko — “Lady Death” — was the sniper’s sniper. Pavlichenko was a “counter-sniper,” and she had the even harder job of outwaiting others just like her. It’s thought that she killed more than 30 other snipers. In one duel, she reportedly had to lie in wait for three days without food, water, or sleep. Snipers embody what the ancient Greeks called kairos. Kairos means “the right moment.” It’s the opportune time. And so much of life hinges on recognising when the time has come. It’s when you decide it’s time …
