In a world like today, where we are all trying to do more and more things, it seems that we are all running against the clock.
But although we are all sharing the same race against time, there is a type of person who simply does not seem to care about being late.
According to a 2014 YouGov study, at least 1 in 5 Americans is late for work at least one day a week and it seems that the generation of “millennials” is the one that suffers the most with punctuality.
What is happening? Are there certain people who are naturally programmed to be late?
British author Grace Pacie decided to investigate why she herself was always late to sites and document her findings in the book Late!: A Timebender’s Guide to Why We Are Late and How We Can Change (Late! A time bender’s guide to why we’re always late and how we can change.)
“When it comes to personalities, there is a bell curve. At one end of the scale, there are what I call ‘time savers,’ who are eager to arrive early,” says the author.
On the other side of the extreme are what Pacie calls “the time flexors” (timebendersin English).
“flexing” time
“To thetimebenders We don’t like routine. We don’t like familiar tasks, and we get bored easily,” Pacie told the BBC.
“We can focus very well when we are interested in something, and if time is short, we can work very effectively.”
Pacie explains that to identify the timebendersin an office, all you have to do is look for the messiest desks.
“We have not finished something, when we are already starting something else.”
But why does it seem that certain people have this characteristic more markedly than others?
The answer could lie in a very specific element of personality, the author of the book “The Expectation Effect”, David Robson, explains to the BBC.
“To be aware”
For Robson, being always late is related to the personality trait of conscientiousness.
“You can measure this trait through questions like how organized and orderly are they? or is the person punctual?”
In addition, Pacie believes that timebenders They experience time in a different way.
“We have a different perception of time than most people,” says the author, who considers herself a timebender. “Not all minutes are the same length for us.”
“Time can speed up or slow down; we can get totally lost in something and completely lose track of time. On the other hand, if we have a turnaround time, we can work very effectively.”
What does the science
A study done by psychologists from the University of Washington in 2016 focused precisely on analyzing people’s perception of time.
In one of the experiments, subjects were given a set amount of time to complete a task. They were even allowed to check the clock.
But the tasks were designed to be fascinating and to distract the subjects from looking at the clock.
The results were clear: Some were naturally better at estimating the passage of time than others, and they used that aptitude to plan effectively for the future.
Consequences
Pacie says that one of the most surprising (and possibly useful) findings was discovering that the timebenders They are not always late for everything.
“We can be on time when it matters to us, and that means we care when there are consequences to us for being late,” says the author.
“The moments in which we stretch time the most is when there are no deadlines or deadlines and there are no consequences, which often coincides with social events.”
The author says that this can lead to youimebendersto have problems with their loved ones, because they are giving the impression that there is little interest in getting along with them.
“I think it’s very helpful to recognize the power of deadlines and deadlines, and that they’re real, external to us, and have consequences,” she adds.
there are solutions
One of the biggest problems Robson has found in improving people’s punctuality is that they believe lateness is an intrinsic part of their personality.
“They just assume it’s something so intrinsic to their genes and traits that they don’t even try to correct the behavior,” he says. “This is how the narratives we have about ourselves can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.” .
And the idea that personality traits are not permanent – nor marked from birth – but can be shaped is one of the most exciting developments in psychology today.
Robson says that if someone wanted to, through simple changes, they could become a more conscious person.
“They can do things like make a detailed schedule every day or set aside time to organize their desk or room if they’re messy. Things we know very conscientious people do.”
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