It's really interesting you mention it this way, Alex. The other day I commented on a piece by Maria Garcia about Portuguese (im)punctuality

"And then there's the idea of 'selfishness' associated with lateness, which may also have to do with the more individualistic mindset of Northern Europeans.

Let's say you arrive 30 minutes late, because you were chatting with a lonely elderly neighbour (this is exactly the kind of thing my wife would do - it's how her priorities work).

I 'lost' 30 minutes kicking my heels at the bar. Though in fact was able to entertain myself with a glass of beer, some peanuts or olives, and a couple of articles on Medium (other platforms also available).

But our broader society received value from the reallocation of those 30 minutes."

I was thinking of writing a piece about that - the personal vs. social allocation and prioritising of time in different cultures - I feel doubly prompted now.