What is Time, Really?

time-wallpaper-13What is “time” to you? Is it endless? Does it mean the world? Have you even thought much about it? If it’s nothing, then okay, but around the world, there is so much perspective to how something so “simple” as time can be so differently valued.

Time is Money

In America, everything has. to. be. punctual. There is no late, because we can’t waste time. After all: time is money. The idea is that the harder we work, the more successful we will be, and therefore, the more money we will have. Especially with professions in law and medicine(which we usually value as the most prestigious occupations), we place a high monetary value on the amount of school and work they do as to reward them for spending the most time on work. But is this the “best” way to be viewing time? Moving quick with the past, to seize the present, to plan for a better future?

Time is Flexible

In Spain, a delivery date doesn’t really matter. You can stay 30 minutes longer at your first meeting and show up an hour late to the next. And why? Because time is flexible. What I really mean here is that the timeliness a person expresses isn’t as important as the relationship you keep with those you interact with. So if you’re getting a lot done at the meeting and want to get lunch with your business partners after, its encouraged even if you had a previous appointment scheduled at noon. And if you took the American way and said, “I have to rush,” everyone would think you’re on your death bed, because why else would you use such a phrase?

So next time you’re dealing internationally, or even within the United States with someone of a different culture, maybe do some research ahead of time. This way you won’t risk getting emotional over something that was never meant to be a thing at all.

Link: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-different-cultures-understand-time-2014-5

Comments

  1. Christyan says:

    This is a really interesting post and something I think about often. As you mentioned, the common notion of time equalling money (in the United States) can be validated through different professions. I am attending law school in the fall and I can relate to the idea of wanting to utilize time efficiently. Whether I go to bed at 11 PM or 3:30 AM, I force myself to get up by 8:00 AM because I feel that the productivity I can have is more valuable than any other rest I can get.

    However, my roommate is very different. He is governed by a clock and cannot deviate from certain routines, no matter how beneficial a change may be. For example, if he does not sleep until a certain time, regardless of how many hours of sleep he may get, he is angry.

    I personally feel that maximizing time is a strength of mine. I also realize that in different nations, time is valued differently and my usage of time would be frowned upon. Even within our own country, people value time differently for various reasons. No matter what, we are all experiencing the same time in history and how we experience it is up to us. It rings true to the saying “There is no such thing as time. Just clocks.”

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