Planning for Survival vs Planning for Growth
When I first moved to the UK, I was struck by how deeply “the plan” was woven into the fabric of everyday life. It wasn’t just in the logistics of the city; it was in the people.
During my three years working with a brilliant local team, I noticed one thing above all else: they treated time as a finite, limited resource. Work was strictly confined between 9 am and 6 pm. It didn’t matter if systems were breaking or pager-duty alerts were buzzing; they had a disciplined approach to prioritizing and fixing things within those hours. And remarkably, it worked.
I found myself wondering: What made this culture of planning so instinctual? Was this the mindset that made the British Empire possible, even in an era of agonizingly slow communication?
Eventually, I developed a thesis.
The Survival Instinct of the North
It comes down to the harshness of the weather. Centuries ago, a British winter wasn’t just a season—it was a deadline. These winters confined families to their homes for months. Survival depended entirely on the ability to plan supplies. If you didn’t have a stock for the winter, you didn’t survive it. Over generations, this necessity evolved into a cultural DNA of meticulous preparation and time management.
The Abundance of the Tropics
By contrast, I thought of my home state in India, where the weather remains pleasant all year. In Tamil, we have a saying: “Muppoham Vilayum”—meaning three harvests in a single calendar year.
In a land blessed with perennial water and constant sunshine, the cycle of sowing and reaping never stops. Scarcity was rarely the primary threat. Centuries ago, while planning was certainly essential for luxury and expansion, it wasn’t a prerequisite for staying alive. Nature provided a safety net.
The Generational Shift
Through this lens, the cultural difference became clear:
- In Temperate countries, planning was essential for survival.
- In Tropical countries, planning remained optional for growth.
One culture learned to plan so they wouldn’t lose; the other learned to plan so they could gain. This “generational wisdom” still dictates how our governance functions – temperate countries being proactive, while tropical countries being reactive.