We live in society and we have some civic rules to comply with. We like them more or less, they cost us more or less, some social norms are there to facilitate coexistence and one of those norms is punctuality. Are you never on time? We delve into the real reasons for being late to discover what is behind this bad habit.
The consequences of tardiness
- You’re never on time, or depending on how you look at it, you’re never on time. No matter how hard you try, it seems that time for you runs faster than for others and you end up being late everywhere. The consequences of being late can range from wearing down your social relationships to losing your job.
- Or the opportunity of your life. And if you arrive late? It is also true that punctuality is subject to the cultural context and that it is not as important everywhere as it is in Western society. And of course, being late for a meeting with friends or a party is not the same as being late at work.
- But the consequences are the same. Your image is portrayed in this bad habit as that of a person who does not take others into account. In most cases, being late is considered disrespectful because is your time worth more than the person you’re making wait?
Reasons for lateness
It seems easy to solve this problem of lateness, but it is not so easy because behind this bad habit there are some problems that must be solved before worrying about time.
Lateness due to lack of organization
Many people fail to arrive at the agreed time due to lack of organization or poor planning. You calculate that if you have an appointment at 8:00 p.m., you can start showering, getting dressed, getting ready, and having a light drink before leaving around 7:00 p.m. And it is not like that. Suddenly you look at the clock, there are 5 minutes left for the appointment and you discover that you have messed up tidying up the room and you still haven’t showered. You thought it would give you time, but no.
Lateness due to the subjective nature of time
This leads us to another almost unknown reason for being late, which is the subjectivity of time. Yes, it seems that time is something absolute, because 1 minute is 60 seconds and 1 hour is 60 minutes for you, for me and for the whole world. But haven’t you noticed that 1 hour is different for each person? Organized and planning people can get much more out of that hour than anyone else.
Lateness for peace of mind
There are people who sign up for the slow life in all its splendor, people who seek a calmer life, unhurried and free from the tyranny of the clock. It is very good and it is very positive to take life easy, but what about the person who is waiting? You may not be able to stay calm easily.
The tardiness of narcissists
There is a type of personality that is especially adoring lateness. They are narcissistic and self-centered people who prefer to make others wait so that their appearance is more tremendous. Plus, the wait is worth it. Or not?
The tardiness of the timid
Sometimes we do not take into account that the lack of punctuality is caused by a problem of self-esteem or even shyness. Have you ever been late to a meeting or a party on purpose to arrive when everything had started and go unnoticed?
The lack of respect of tardiness
In any case, being late is habitually disrespectful. It doesn’t matter if it’s work, a doctor’s appointment, a meeting with friends or the first date with that guy. Time is a tyrant for everyone and for that very reason it is most valuable.
And you, are you always late?