Forge

A former publication from Medium on personal development. Currently inactive and not taking…

Follow publication

Member-only story

Are You on ‘Clock Time’ or ‘Event Time?’

David Kadavy
Forge
Published in
4 min readNov 9, 2020

Multicolored clocks falling against a yellow-green gradient.
Photo: PM Images/Getty Images

Before moving to Colombia, I spent my first winter here. Once I arrived, I quickly found just how different the pace of life is compared to Chicago. People talk slower, walk slower. The U.S. custom of standing on the right side of the escalator so people can pass you on the left? Yeah, that’s not really a thing. People stand wherever they like. It’s rare to see someone in such a hurry that they’d want to climb an escalator that’s already moving, anyway.

In my first few weeks here, I chafed against the unfamiliar lack of urgency. But as I adjusted to my new surroundings, I noticed something happening to me. My writing was becoming more focused. I was coming up with new ideas left and right. And I was suddenly calmer. Months’ worth of pent-up tension melted away from the muscles in my neck and back.

I talked to other American expats about this phenomenon, and they all reported something similar. When you first come to Colombia, a few of them told me, it takes a while to get into the rhythm of life, but once you’re in that rhythm, you’re more relaxed, more laid back, happier. I believe this has a lot to do with cultural differences in the way we perceive time.

Create an account to read the full story.

The author made this story available to Medium members only.
If you’re new to Medium, create a new account to read this story on us.

Or, continue in mobile web

Already have an account? Sign in

Forge
Forge

Published in Forge

A former publication from Medium on personal development. Currently inactive and not taking submissions.

David Kadavy
David Kadavy

Written by David Kadavy

Author, ‘Mind Management, Not Time Management’ https://amzn.to/3p5xpcV Former design & productivity advisor to Timeful (Google acq’d).

Responses (13)

Write a response

In his global research on attitudes about time, the social psychologist Robert Levine identified two distinct social constructs of time: “clock time“ and “event time.”

Language also seems to greatly affect our understanding and perception of time. In some languages, time is cyclical. In others, time doesn’t exist.
The Pormpuraaw people in Australia speak the language Kuuk Thaayorre, which uses cardinal directions…

I wish we all could live more on event time.

It’s rare to see someone in such a hurry that they’d want to climb an escalator that’s already moving, anyway.

Haha love this! So true in much of the world!