The linear outlook on time finds reflection in many Western literary works. Men of letters compare time to “the devourer of everything” (Ovid, 15 AD), “the subtle thief of youth” (Milton, 1645), and a “winged chariot hurrying near” (Marvel, 1681). Shakespeare in 1601 described time as “most brisk and giddy-paced.” As Jia Yuxin says, “Time is viewed in Western culture as an unceasing one-way movement. It means marching, flowing, and flying. It resembles the river, the waterfall, and the torrent.” Edward T. Hall points out that nobody in the Western world can escape the iron-handed control of unidirectional time. The linear view of time is also evidenced in such proverbs as “Time lost is never found again” and “Time and tide wait for no man.”

As time is regarded as something moving on in one direction and never coming back, Westerners have a strong sense of the shortage of time, which quickens their pace of life and makes them habitually look ahead, having their eyes on the future. People are used to writing in their calendars what is to be done in the future and focus much of their attention on planning for it. They tend to defy authorities and enjoy blazing new trails rather than following the beaten track. It might be said that the linear view encourages bold exploration and promotes scientific creation.

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