Americansbelievenoonestandsstill.Ifyouarenotmovingahead,youarefallingbehind.Thisattituderesultsinanationofpeoplecommittedtoresearching,experimentingandexploring.TimeisoneofthetwoelementsthatAmericanssavecarefully,theotherbeinglabor.
"Weareslavestonothingbuttheclock,”ithasbeensaid.Timeistreatedasifitweresomethingalmostreal.Webudgetit,saveit,wasteit,stealit,killit,cutit,accountforit;wealsochargeforit.Itisapreciousresource.Manypeoplehavearatheracutesenseoftheshortnessofeachlifetime.Oncethesandshaverunoutofaperson’shourglass,theycannotbereplaced.Wewanteveryminutetocount.
Aforeigner’sfirstimpressionoftheU.S.islikelytobethateveryoneisinarush--oftenunderpressure.Citypeoplealwaysappeartobehurryingtogetwheretheyaregoing,restlesslyseekingattentioninastore,orelbowingothersastheytrytocompletetheirshopping.Racingthroughdaytimemealsispartofthepace
oflifeinthiscountry.Workingtimeisconsideredprecious.Othersinpubliceating-placesarewaitingforyoutofinishsothey,too,canbeservedandgetbacktoworkwithinthetimeallowed.Youalsofinddriverswillbeabruptandpeoplewillpushpastyou.Youwillmisssmiles,briefconversations,andsmallexchangeswithstrangers.Don’ttakeitpersonally.Thisisbecausepeoplevaluetimehighly,andtheyresentsomeoneelse“wasting”itbeyondacertainappropriatepoint.
ManynewarrivalstotheStateswillmisstheopeningexchangesofabusinesscall,forexample.Theywillmisstheritualinteractionthatgoeswithawelcomingcupofteaorcoffeethatmaybeaconventionintheirowncountry.Theymaymissleisurelybusinesschatsinarestaurantorcoffeehouse.Normally,Americansdonotassesstheirvisitorsinsuchrelaxedsurroundingsoverextendedsmalltalk;muchlessdotheytakethemoutfordinner,orforaroundonthegolfcoursewhiletheydevelopasenseoftrust.Sincewegenerallyassessandprobeprofessionallyratherthansocially,westarttalkingbusinessveryquickly.Timeis,therefore,
alwaystickinginourinnerear.
Consequently,weworkhardatthetaskofsavingtime.Weproduceasteadyflowoflabor-savingdevices;wecommunicaterapidlythroughfaxes,phonecallsoremailsratherthanthroughpersonalcontacts,whichthoughpleasant,takelonger--especiallygivenourtraffic-filledstreets.We,therefore,savemostpersonalvisitingforafter-workhoursorforsocialweekendgatherings.
Toustheimpersonalityofelectroniccommunicationhaslittleornorelationtothesignificanceofthematterathand.Insomecountriesnomajorbusinessisconductedwithouteyecontact,requiringface-to-faceconversation.InAmerica,too,afinalagreementwillnormallybesignedinperson.However,peoplearemeetingincreasinglyontelevisionscreens,conducting“teleconferences”tosettleproblemsnotonlyinthiscountrybutalso--bysatellite--internationally.
TheU.S.isdefinitelyatelephonecountry.Almosteveryoneusesthetelephonetoconductbusiness,tochatwithfriends,tomakeorbreaksocialappointments,tosay“Thankyou,”toshopandtoobtainallkindsof