Time has no divisions to mark its passage, there is never a thunderstorm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols.

Mann underscores the arbitrariness of calendrical boundaries: nature does not “announce” months, years, or centuries; humans impose divisions and then ceremonialize them. The image of bells and pistols suggests both festivity and aggression, hinting at the self-dramatizing way societies treat temporal milestones as meaningful turning points. The quote invites skepticism about “new beginnings” tied to dates, implying that continuity, not rupture, is time’s default condition. At the same time, it acknowledges a human need to create markers—rituals that help individuals and cultures narrate their lives, coordinate collective action, and manage anxiety about change and mortality.