EP 25: The Meaning of Time across Cultures

Time. Most of us would argue that we do not have enough of it. We want more. Yet every culture uses available time in a completely different way.This week, John Stech, host of The Auto Ethnographer, speaks about the meaning of time across different cultures. He looks at the “time is money” philosophy of the Americans, the “punctuality is a virtue” culture of northern Europe, the “espresso culture” of southern Europe, the “mañana means maybe” culture of Latin America, and dives into a comparison of “zen versus zoom” when comparing the time cultures of Southeast and East Asian countries. He also looks at the Russian time culture, often held captive by the endless flow of stopped traffic in Moscow.John blends personal insights from his work and living experiences together with some humor to portray how each culture uses and prioritizes its time.He ultimately concludes that it boils down to prioritizing four points: efficiency, relationships, harmony, or spontaneity. Each culture will be identified by which of these it chooses to pursue as Priority #1. And how we must understand and appreciate that others will see time in a different way as we.To learn more about The Auto Ethnographer please visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.comYou can also follow on Instagram and Facebook:FB page:   https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567929329364IG page:   https://www.instagram.com/auto.ethnographer/