Waiting can be one of the most difficult and even unpleasant experiences in life. It doesn’t matter what the amount of time is involved. The only thing that really matters is the reason for the wait. Probably everyone has heard of the list of takes on the feeling of one minute, and how the feeling of that same minute changes from perspective to perspective.
In this world that is obsessed with action, speediness, and productivity, we are told to “Seize the moment” and other similar sayings that, hopefully, goad us forward. Unfortunately, as we often find out, we have worked our way to where exactly? This is especially true when in business and other fields we strive to take advantage of opportunities as–or even before–they present themselves. The frequent result ends up being decisions based on inadequate information and incomplete data. It is in these situations that we frequently find ourselves questioning the wisdom of General George S. Patton who often said, “It is better to execute a plan based on incomplete information today than complete information tomorrow.”
For years we have been told not to jump to conclusions, yet today we jump not only more frequently, but more firmly than at any time in the past to our firmest conclusions ever. The virtues of making good snap decisions is preached in business schools and boardrooms everywhere, yet the value of Plato’s observation that “an unexamined life is not worth living” goes unheeded.
Frank Partnoy shines a light on a number of questions about how we look at time, view procrastination, and what it really means to be human through the perspectives of psychology, philosophy, social science, behavioral economics, anthropology, and more. [1] The resulting study is an important, if counterintuitive, look at what effect delay might have on a culture such as ours that is obsessed with anything but, resulting in a mad dash into what ends up at hasty and rash.
Ali B. Taciroglu has 20+ years experience in business management and 10+ years experience in delivering software solutions to high profile clientele. He had taught classes for many years at the university level and continue to share his knowledge and experience in social media.
You can reach his blog at http://blog.taciroglu.com
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