From “Love Your Neighbor: How Psychology Can Enliven Faith and Transform Community” by Katherine M. Douglass and Brittany M. Tausen
While anyone can practice embodying time differently, it is worth acknowledging how culture can influence the way that we think (and talk) about time. Some fascinating psychology studies have demonstrated that many people in Western cultures use metaphors like “looking forward” to the future and “looking back” on the past. But these metaphors are not universal. The Aymara people in the Andes, for example, speak about the future being behind them (because it is what is unseen or unknown) and the past being in front of them because it is what is seen and known! It isn’t just metaphors that vary across culture, so does the value we place on the past, present, and future. If you find yourself always rushing to the next thing, this may serve as an indicator that you are currently embedded in or have been deeply shaped by a “future-focused” culture that is always looking for the next thing.