Do You Think You Are Rude?

In my “Why are you Late” blog” I was looking for the reasons why people are usually regularly late for most events, but most replies I have had so far, have been from people who have expressed their opinion of people who are consistently late with out good reason.

Here is a typical response: “Hi Walter, I think there are many reasons for people being late but the one I think is most common is that they just plain don't care. Certainly it is a sign of bad manners, but it is equally true that it is a sign of not being brought up properly. I was always taught that to be late was to insult the person you were to meet and it has always stuck with me over my life. 

There will always be extenuating circumstances for some people to be late, but generally my opinion is that it is lack of manners most of the time.”

How do you feel about that? Do you realize that many people think you rude for persistently turning up late with no good reason or acceptable excuse? Is that really your intention? Or have you simply not thought of the other person’s feelings? Or is it true as stated above and you “just plain don’t care”? Again, what say you? Walter

Why Are You Late?

I received this reply to my “Fast. Slow. Or Stopped? “ Blog, and found it an interesting observation. What think thee?

“Your clock blog is interesting. It makes me remember what I learned in psychology.

The people who are always late to everything, it is a sign of rebellion against their mother.

Sometimes I think it is just a habit. Some say they are trying to get attention. They sure do from me because I think everyone should be punctual except in emergencies.

PS: I sound like a school teacher, don't I?”

As one who is habitually early, unless due to extra ordinary circumstances, it is a theory that I have never heard or considered before, but now that has been raised I am interested to know more. What say you?

In discussing this with my daughters, I got the two different viewpoints. As a budding Psychologist, our last-born said that there are in fact many social-logical factors involved, including simply trying to do more than you can properly, and one would have to exam each and every situation, to find the real reason for each person. (Sound real professional doesn’t it?)

Our first –born said it was an acquired habit. She then went onto say that she is always a few minutes early to every event, because she learnt it from her father, who in turn learnt it from his father, who said it was a sign of rudeness to the organisers (& others) to be late, with out due just cause.

Again. What say you? Why are you late: Because of: Rebellion; Habit; Attention seeking; laziness; inefficient planning, trying to do more than practical; some other reason? I know it is none of my business, but now the subject has been raised I am curious. What’s your thinking on the subject? Walter

P..S. Just thought of another reason: maybe they just don’t have a working clock!

Slow? Fast? Or Stopped?

A little teaser for you: Which is the most accurate: A clock 5 minutes slow; a clock 4 minutes fast; or one that is stopped?

While it might be an amusing, even interesting question, it is ultimately an unhelpful one, for you see, the most accurate, is the stopped clock. The other two, will never be accurate but the stopped clock will always be accurate at least twice a day.

The trouble is, that while it might be accurate twice a day it is of absolutely no help to you or me in knowing what time it is, is it?

I have met some people who deliberately run their clock’s a few minutes slow, as they know that if they think they are running late they will hurry up, where as if they think they have plenty of time to spare waste it and end up late.

I have met some other people who deliberately run their clock’s a few minutes fast, so that they will always be early or on time if they leave themselves a few minutes up their sleeves for unexpected drains on their time.

Now the above two actions may help and assist those who know their system, but it can throw others out completely if they take the clock’s time at face value.

What about you and me? Are we always dependable and on time? Or do people have to waste their time waiting for us because we operate on a different clock, either fast or slow?

Do we make people hurry up to catch up with us as we are always leaving early? Or do we make them twiddle their thumbs and waste precious time because we are always late? Or worse, are we a stopped clock that no one can depend on and in danger of being thrown out, or pushed aside for something more reliable?

Should we not, metaphorically speaking, be people that others can set their watches by, as we are always on time, and always reliable? The answer of course is, “Yes”, but the real question is, “Are we?” Well? Are You? I will now leave you to ponder that! Walter