new years resolutions

I’ve always been a sucker for new years resolutions, or for fresh starts of any kind. When I was a teacher I’d always try to start new units on Mondays, and make a big deal of new marking periods to give students a clean slate. I made new years resolutions in the US, though they were mostly continuations of habits I had been trying to develop since September, which for teachers is always I think more of a new beginning.

But in Paraguay there’s no such thing as new years resolutions. I haven’t thought to talk about this yet with any Paraguayans, but it’s an interesting example of a larger cultural difference. North Americans are forward-thinking, always talking about improvement or what comes next. Paraguayans are so much more tranquilo, taking one day or one hour even at a time. (Someone told me once that this comes from Europeans having to worry about gathering enough crops to make it though the rough winters, whereas Paraguayans can be confident their crops’ll grow at any time so there’ll always be enough to eat. An interesting theory, though I can’t speak to its accuracy.) Sometimes this lack of forward-thinking frustrates me. It seems as though some Paraguayans, if they have enough to eat and are in a relatively secure socioeconomic position, are content with what they have and don’t really see a need to have/do/learn more. As an American, especially an American whose job it is to capacitate and work with the people here to improve this position, it’s hard to understand that mentality. Certainly there are Americans who don’t make new years resolutions, and I count myself among the many who didn’t follow through on some or all of them, but we at least pay lip service to the idea of moving forward, moving ahead.

I try not to be a cultural snob, to recognize that Paraguayan culture isn’t better or worse, just different from North American culture. But it’s so ingrained in me to value progress that it’s hard not to look down on or look poorly upon people who aren’t interested in working towards it. Though how can a culture that’s been plagued by corrupt dictatorships for so long place a value on hard work or progress when for a long time advancement was made through money or support for the regime? The American spirit of new years resolutions, of progress and self improvement is such a gift, because it means that we as a people have the privilege to see that honest hard work brings results.