The Anglo culture measures time in a single dimension (ie, hours, minutes, and seconds). A value is placed upon each fraction of time. My time is worth $10 an hour (or $100 or $14,000 , etc). I spent 4 hours screwing around with this that or the other thing. Time marches on.
Science tells us that time exists like a fourth dimension. Actually, that is probably playing a bit fast and loose with the facts. But some of the latest thinking uses time as a thing that can be manipulated (ie, bent, focused, existing in parallel aspects, etc.). Way above the Gringo Renegado's paygrade!
It turns out that some other cultures have a different concept of time. Not only the "mañana" attitude (discussed in Language and Culture), but also an idea that time, or rather the value of time, can be measured in at least one more dimension. The Mayan shamans taught that time should be measured and valued according to the intensity of the moment.
I am not sure that they are right, or wrong for that matter. But take a moment to contemplate what you, dear reader, are doing right this moment, and value the intensity of it (not that you could be earning $10!). Many of us living outside have discovered that there are kernals of wisdom to this concept of time, and that discovery has enabled some of us to better understand the nature of the rat race that we left behind. Add the Fox News idea that issues are simplistic and black and white to the idea that time only matters as a measure to arrive, and I submit we have a recipe for the political and cultural neurosis that is so visible from outside the United States looking in, and almost invisible when one is on the inside.
Indeed, there is a lot of examples of the consequences of the unilateral definition of time around the world, and it is not a castigation meant only for the Gringo Renegado's compatriots. I propose that being inside makes it very difficult to discover and live under a different idea of time.
Wait! The sun is setting behind the volcano.....
From the outside looking in: living in a foreign land.
About Me
- ElGringoRenegado
- Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
- The Gringo Renegado left the USA 11 years ago. He has traveled/lived/worked in Europe, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. Sailed the Greek Isles. Lives and grows coffee near Xalapa, Mexico
The local volcano as seen from the mirador.
It is an interesting and deep theme. Usually, it is difficult to me express in English my thoughts about complex themes. But I can say that I agree with you in the idea that there are many forms to appraise the value of time. Before 1905 was completely right to say that the physical time was different from "psychological time" (or "psychological appreciation of time". Maybe, these distinction is complete theme itself). But after the Einstein's "Annus Mirabilis" the concept of one absolute time, equal for everywhere and everybody, loses its foundation in science.
ReplyDeleteI think that some persons could find positive live some time apart from the land where they born, grow up and were educated; due to that they can see their preconcepts from outside, and see that there are more forms to see things, just like you have do. But, trying to see the other face of the coin, I can say that I believe that some Mexican people have had for many time an inferiority complex respect to the American people, related with the idea that "they are hardworking and we are lazy". Maybe these is only a preconcept, but, undoubtedly, the American society is efficient and productive. I remember that, when I studied the elementary school, the teachers give us frequently these speech: "you must be like Americans in certain aspects". And these aspects could be: to be the hardworking, to be enterprising, to be instructed, etc. Not always the speech was about Americans, it could be about Japaneses or Europeans. And I think that undoubtly the most of the Japaneses are hardworking, the same that Americans used to be enterprising, and the Europeans used to be instructed. But it is a shortage to begin to develped and inferiority complex.
I think that the most of Mexicans are not lazy. I believe that many of the problems of our country have its origin in corruption, and in a low capacity to work together in order to obtain the common benefit. These two aspects are related, in my opinion, with a tendency to put the personal benefit upon the common benefit. The egoism is, I think, the true enemy of the Mexicans.
Greetings.