Monochronic or polychronic? No this is not a post about eyesight or music. It is a post about time. Evangelicals view "time" in very pecular ways. We see time as a limited commodity. We hear our whole lives that we need to save time, spend it wisely, not waste it, not lose it, and never kill it. Instead if we are good boys and girls, we should be redeeming it or multiplying it. We think of time as a "ribbon or road that can only be sliced in one way." Hall called this a monochronic way of perceiving time.
People can respect us (really our understanding of time) by showing up "on time" for appointments, doing long term planning and even short term planning - in fact the whole idea of planning may be monochronic! Bob Biehl would be disappointed in me. And of course we all value "my time" and generally it is a rare Westerner who enjoys interruptions. We always want to make the best use of time and be efficient with the time that we think we have in life. We are obsessed with time . . . I think it controls more of my life and thinking than any other aspect of my culture.
The opposite understanding of time, Hall refers to as polychronic. Time is a point rather than a ribbon. This point of view does not devalue time, only expresses that value in a very different way. In fact almost the opposite way. In polychronic cultures, promptness is defined by the relationship, not the clock, e.g. the more intimate the relationship the less value placed on clock time. I am proud to say that our record so far is 2 hours and 40 minutes. That is how late one of our leaders showed up for dinner at our house! It was a great honor. Now it did not feel like a great honor, but it was. I am still shooting for that relationship that is so good and intimate, that the person shows up three hours late and acts as if that is perfectly normal.
This is one of the best tests of a person’s adjustment to their new culture -- does not starting something on time (according to the clock and the Western way of thinking) bother the individual or not. In fact, the acid test is can the Westerner show up “late” according to his culture and not be sweating bullets?
Don’t get me wrong, I get plenty frustrated by polychronics. The thoughts I was thinking two days ago while getting my car serviced, would make my mother blush . . . I did not appreciate waiting in a hot uncomfortable room for eight hours while my car sat outside for a 40 minute job to be done. On the other hand, my mechanic views me as one of his real friends. He calls me on the phone to talk, regardless if he is working on my car or not. He calls me by my first name and I know his, and his kid’s. So that I waited eight hours was not a time issue for him, but rather a testimony of our relationship. Western values says that because we are friends, he would move me to the front of the line. Balkan values says that because we friends, I will wait because these other people will cause problems for him if he does not quickly repair their cars first. He knows that I will not cause him problems. But inside, I still fumed and swore in three languages. I guess than means I have enough control to not express my genuine feelings and frustration, but at the same time I am certainly no polychronic at the core.
I consider this the most damaging baggage I carry from the West, that me, my stuff, my time, my agenda is more important than people and relationships. What might Jesus do? Well I think He would probably shuck off that ole’ Western attitude of planning and time that breaks so many potential friendships and salvations. I think that maybe today, I was more like Him, in that I sat and listened to my landlord rant and rave about war and politics and the mafia for two unplanned hours. Maybe I will be more like Him if I take off my Swatch and relegate it to the desk drawer? But for now, I gotta hurry and post this before I am late for an appointment.
People can respect us (really our understanding of time) by showing up "on time" for appointments, doing long term planning and even short term planning - in fact the whole idea of planning may be monochronic! Bob Biehl would be disappointed in me. And of course we all value "my time" and generally it is a rare Westerner who enjoys interruptions. We always want to make the best use of time and be efficient with the time that we think we have in life. We are obsessed with time . . . I think it controls more of my life and thinking than any other aspect of my culture.
The opposite understanding of time, Hall refers to as polychronic. Time is a point rather than a ribbon. This point of view does not devalue time, only expresses that value in a very different way. In fact almost the opposite way. In polychronic cultures, promptness is defined by the relationship, not the clock, e.g. the more intimate the relationship the less value placed on clock time. I am proud to say that our record so far is 2 hours and 40 minutes. That is how late one of our leaders showed up for dinner at our house! It was a great honor. Now it did not feel like a great honor, but it was. I am still shooting for that relationship that is so good and intimate, that the person shows up three hours late and acts as if that is perfectly normal.
This is one of the best tests of a person’s adjustment to their new culture -- does not starting something on time (according to the clock and the Western way of thinking) bother the individual or not. In fact, the acid test is can the Westerner show up “late” according to his culture and not be sweating bullets?
Don’t get me wrong, I get plenty frustrated by polychronics. The thoughts I was thinking two days ago while getting my car serviced, would make my mother blush . . . I did not appreciate waiting in a hot uncomfortable room for eight hours while my car sat outside for a 40 minute job to be done. On the other hand, my mechanic views me as one of his real friends. He calls me on the phone to talk, regardless if he is working on my car or not. He calls me by my first name and I know his, and his kid’s. So that I waited eight hours was not a time issue for him, but rather a testimony of our relationship. Western values says that because we are friends, he would move me to the front of the line. Balkan values says that because we friends, I will wait because these other people will cause problems for him if he does not quickly repair their cars first. He knows that I will not cause him problems. But inside, I still fumed and swore in three languages. I guess than means I have enough control to not express my genuine feelings and frustration, but at the same time I am certainly no polychronic at the core.
I consider this the most damaging baggage I carry from the West, that me, my stuff, my time, my agenda is more important than people and relationships. What might Jesus do? Well I think He would probably shuck off that ole’ Western attitude of planning and time that breaks so many potential friendships and salvations. I think that maybe today, I was more like Him, in that I sat and listened to my landlord rant and rave about war and politics and the mafia for two unplanned hours. Maybe I will be more like Him if I take off my Swatch and relegate it to the desk drawer? But for now, I gotta hurry and post this before I am late for an appointment.
1 comment:
This is marvelous news! I'm not late, I'm polychronic!
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