January 20, 2023
Updated 9 hours ago
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A 2014 YouGov study found that at least one in five Americans is late for work at least once a week.
Are you one of those people who are always late?
In today’s world as we try to do more and more things, it seems that we are all racing against the clock.
But even though we’re in the same race against time, there’s one type of person who doesn’t seem to mind just being late.
A 2014 YouGov study found that at least one in five Americans is late for work at least once a week. And apparently, Millennials (born between 1981 and 1995) are the least punctual.
What will happen? Are there people who are “programmed” by nature to be late for their appointments?
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Research confirms that some people have a different perception of time than others.
British writer Grace Pacie decided to investigate why she herself was always late to the places she visited and documented her findings in her book Late! A Timebender’s Guide to Why We Are Late and How We Can Change
“There’s a bell curve in personalities,” says the writer. “At one end of the scale are what I call ‘time savers’ looking to get there early.”
And at the other extreme are those who, according to Pacie, have “double time.” They are the timebenders, in English and the author herself belongs to this category.
‘bending time’
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For “timebenders” (people who “bend” time), the passing minutes seem to vary in length depending on the situation
“We time benders don’t like routine. We don’t like tasks that we already know and we get bored easily,” Pacie told the BBC.
“We can concentrate very well when something interests us and when time is short we can work very efficiently,” she says.
Pacie explains that to identify the time thieves in an office, all you have to do is look for the cluttered desks. “We haven’t even finished one thing, we’re already starting something else.”
But why do some people seem to have this trait more than others? The answer may lie in a very specific personality trait, explains David Robson, author of The Expectation Effect.
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A cluttered office can indicate problems with punctuality.
‘Be careful’
For Robson, always being late is related to the level of consciousness, which is a personality trait.
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While some people tend to be late, others do everything they can to not miss the time.
“You can capture this trait with questions like ‘How well do you sort and organize?’ measure up. or ‘Is this person on time?'” the author tells the BBC.
Pacie also believes that timebenders experience time differently. For her, “we have a different perception of time than most people. Not every minute is the same for us”.
“Time can speed up or slow down,” Pacie continues. “We can get totally lost in something and completely forget the time. On the other hand, we can work very effectively if we take an hour.”
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In today’s world we all race against the clock but not all at the same pace.
What does science say
A study conducted in 2016 by psychologists at the University of Washington in the US focused precisely on analyzing people’s perception of time.
In one of the experiments, participants had a set amount of time to complete a task. You could even look at the clock. But the tasks should be exciting and distract the participants so that they don’t look at the clock.
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Researchers used methods to distract participants during their studies
The results were clear. Some people were naturally better at judging the passage of time than others, and they used this ability to plan their future effectively.
consequences
Pacie says that one of the most surprising (and arguably most helpful) findings was the discovery that time benders aren’t always late everywhere.
“We can be on time when we care, that is, when there are consequences for us if we are late,” explains the writer.
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People who have “double time” tend to be on time for appointments but are late for social events
“The times we stretch time the most are when there are no deadlines or deadlines and there are no consequences, which often happens at social events,” she says.
Pacie claims that this can cause timebenders to get into trouble with loved ones by giving the impression that there is little interest in getting along with them.
“I think it’s really helpful to recognize the power of deadlines and deadlines, that they’re real, that they’re enforceable, and that they have consequences,” she adds.
there is solution
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Experts believe that lack of punctuality can be improved, as well as other characteristics that seem hopeless.
One of the biggest problems Robson has found in improving people’s punctuality is that they believe that being late is an inseparable part of who they are.
“They just think it’s so inherent in their genes and their traits that they don’t even try to correct the behavior,” he said. “So the narratives we have about ourselves can become a selffulfilling prophecy.”
And the idea that personality traits are not permanent not fixed at birth but can be shaped is one of the most exciting developments in psychology today.
Robson says if you want, anyone can become more aware with simple changes.
“They can do things like a detailed schedule each day, or take time to organize their office or bedroom when they’re stuffed,” he explains. “Things we know people are very aware of.”