“In my Americanized adult brain, time is linear. It moves relentlessly forward, creating an urgency to maximize each moment before it’s irretrievably lost. Time is something to be captured, conquered and made the most of, because it doesn’t come back. It is a commodity, a precious limited resource, and therefore the goal is to get mastery over time. In the western culture we are taught to monetize time: “Time is money.” It is a token that should be converted into an achievement or something material like wealth. Workers are paid by the hour, lawyers charge by the minute, and advertising is sold by the second. The value of time is associated with economics rather than experiences. That scarcity mindset around time has been hardwired in my brain.”
Tamanna Bembenek, Co-owner
There’s much to learn from the Mexican approach to time, Tamanna Bembenek writes.
While locals say Querétaro has the best quality of life, chilangos can say they live in the friendliest city in the world, according to the World Population Review.
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Two new unrelated studies found Mexicans to be among the world’s happiest people, with one study showing a 15 point jump from 2024’s ranking.
