When we think about the future, where do we imagine it exists in our minds? Are we moving towards it. Is it lagging behind us? Could it be hanging above us?. What about our past? Do we envision it lingering over our shoulder? The answers to these thought provoking questions largely depend on our background and the language we are exposed to.
In societies like the UK, US and most of Europe people tend to see time as a linear journey. The future is perceived as lying of us while the past is left behind like a memory in a rear view mirror. This perspective visualizes life as a progression towards the future with no possibility of turning back.
In contrast there are cultures that perceive the past and future differently. Take the Aymara people a group from South America residing in the Andes. For them the future lies behind them while they see their ancestors and traditions as something. Scientists made this observation based on how Aymara individuals gesture when discussing these topics.
There are also cultures such as Darij speakers, in Morocco and certain Vietnamese speakers who have unique perspectives on time and space. These variations emphasize that there is no concept of past, present and future. Instead our cultural context shapes how we perceive these dimensions of time.
For instance, while Western societies see themselves marching towards the future, the Māori of New Zealand focus their attention on the past. The Māori's perception of the past is based on what is visible or has been visible, considering the past and present as known entities. The future, still unseen and unknown, is therefore viewed as being behind them. This perspective guides their actions, enabling them to carry the lessons of the past into the future.
Why do these differences in time perception exist? One theory suggests that our reading and writing direction influences our perspective - those reading left to right tend to position the past on the left and future on the right. However, this does not explain the outliers. Another theory posits that cultural values determine our orientation towards the future.
These divergent perspectives on time can have profound implications for global problem-solving. Western-centric slogans like "moving forward" might not resonate universally. By understanding and embracing different time perspectives, we might reframe our approach to solving global issues, leading to a more equitable future.
Links:
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/2155982
- https://minorityrights.org/minorities/aymara-and-highland-quechua/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1207/s15516709cog0000_62
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25052830/
- https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/cog-2015-0066/html
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21030013/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010027721000226#s0090
- https://www.newzealand.com/int/maori-culture/
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1463949116677923
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1551-6709.2010.01105.x
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-020-01760-5
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/2657288?origin=crossref
- https://theconversation.com/profiles/ruth-ogden-1182467
- https://theconversation.com/institutions/liverpool-john-moores-university-1319
- https://theconversation.com
- https://theconversation.com/why-the-future-might-not-be-where-you-think-it-is-216861
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