How Different Cultures Understand Time

[TV and credit cards]

How Different Cultures Understand Time

In a world rife with cultural ignorance, this article and the author's book can help bring some understanding of why we sometimes have trouble connecting with people of different cultural backgrounds. I never really considered such a thing as is presented in the article but it is so straight forward, obvious, and quite useful I might add. Reading each concept, I find myself saying, of course, that makes perfect sense.
I thought others might enjoy reading it.

For an Italian, time considerations will usually be subjected to human feelings. “Why are you so angry because I came at 9:30?” he asks his German colleague. “Because it says 9:00 in my diary,” says the German. “Then why don’t you write 9:30 and then we’ll both be happy?”

The American sees the facts as having been adequately discussed; the Chinese feel that they have not yet attained that degree of closeness, that satisfying sense of common trust and intent that is for the Chinese the bedrock of the deal and of other transactions in the future.

Buses in Madagascar leave, not according to a predetermined timetable, but when the bus is full. The situation triggers the event. Not only does this make economic sense, but it is also the time that most passengers have chosen to leave.

When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school, and the useful things that should be taught.

 

[spikepipsqueak]

I couldn't access the article, but you're right, time perception is one of the things that contributes to poor understanding.

The Chinese count the child as 1 from birth. I think? all/most Europe-derived countries count the year only after it has elapsed. I often wonder if this illustrates an attitudinal difference or if I'm seeing something that isn't there.

Australian Aborigines have a different take on the important and the merely urgent, so they will diverge from a promise to meet at a specific time in order to take up an opportunity that presents, because in their culture waiting isn't the end of the world.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I couldn't access the article, but you're right, time perception is one of the things that contributes to poor understanding.

The Chinese count the child as 1 from birth. I think? all/most Europe-derived countries count the year only after it has elapsed. I often wonder if this illustrates an attitudinal difference or if I'm seeing something that isn't there.

Australian Aborigines have a different take on the important and the merely urgent, so they will diverge from a promise to meet at a specific time in order to take up an opportunity that presents, because in their culture waiting isn't the end of the world.

1 from birth and then you get a year older on the New Year. I keep having to correct my wife's age when she tells it wrong because of this.

 

[TV and credit cards]

I couldn't access the article, but you're right, time perception is one of the things that contributes to poor understanding.

The Chinese count the child as 1 from birth. I think? all/most Europe-derived countries count the year only after it has elapsed. I often wonder if this illustrates an attitudinal difference or if I'm seeing something that isn't there.

Australian Aborigines have a different take on the important and the merely urgent, so they will diverge from a promise to meet at a specific time in order to take up an opportunity that presents, because in their culture waiting isn't the end of the world.

There's a second click thru in the upper right-hand corner you may not have noticed. One of those "you will be redirected in xx seconds" messages.

It seems capitalism commands a more linear use of time. Interesting to think about other cultures and how this may affect their economies, depending on how adaptable they are to a linear model.

 

[Derec]

It seems capitalism commands a more linear use of time.

Which is understandable since that is the use of time best corresponding to physical reality of time. Sure, many events are cyclical but time itself is linear.

Interesting to think about other cultures and how this may affect their economies, depending on how adaptable they are to a linear model.

Yes, especially within Europe the correlation between attitudes toward time and economic success is telling.