‘I’m running 10 minutes late. Sorry’.

This happened with me twice last Friday. In both the meetings, people were little late, and both were apologetic about not keeping to time.

As I was waiting, a thought came to mind. How would the phrase ‘I’m running late’ translate into my native language (Hindi). The closest possible translation would be – ‘I seek your forgiveness for being late.’

Notice how different cultures create different metaphors of time?

And we don’t just think differently about time, we are unconsciously influenced in our bodies by these metaphors. The thought of not keeping up with time makes you run. And this kind of running is not for fun or wellness. It actually makes us sweat, stressed, and anxious. We say ‘time pressure’ and then we relate it with ‘commercial pressure’. And when ‘time is money’ we are under ‘under immense pressure’. That is what words can do to us.

Here’s the twist. As infants, when we learn a language, it is usually the other way. We point upwards and downwards much before we can say ‘Up’ or ‘Down’’. Gestures precede language. But as grown ups, when we feel the need to ‘run’ or we feel ‘under pressure’ for being late, that could mean the opposite – our language starts to rule our gestures and our behaviours.

The power is not so much in the words but how we frame and live (embody) those words without our awareness.

Language (metaphors) play such an important role in understanding culture and influencing culture change. If you want to change your culture think about the words that you speak. And more importantly, what those words do to your bodies.