Being late is a disease that plagues many, and punctuality becomes a far-fetched ideal as time goes on. Whether it’s at school, work, or simply an outing with friends, we’ve all faced the scrutinization of others when we come rushing through the door past the agreed time. We see the judgmental eyes and instantly know: Their assessment of our good character is about to go down a few pegs.
Being late isn’t the most polite or responsible act to commit, but it shouldn’t put the essence of your character into question. An example of an extreme reaction to lateness is “The Importance of Being Punctual,” a blog post in which we perpetually unpunctual folk are scrutinized for our ways. It goes as far to say, “Being late consistently implies you are rude and lack all consideration and respect for the other person as well as for the commitment you made.” A bit excessive, huh?
There are plenty of instances in which being late has absolutely nothing to do with the person you are planning to meet. These instances can include traffic, alarm malfunctions, oversleeping and car trouble. Although it is true that the individual could probably have avoided these instances with better planning, it doesn’t mean they have zero sympathy and respect for the the event they are attending or the person they are meeting.
There are countless explanations attempting to peg exactly why one is late, ranging from “showing who’s in power” to “don’t want other people telling them what to do."
But maybe — and I’m just throwing this out there — they don’t have a deep-seated psychological issue. Maybe they actually just wanted five more minutes of sleep.
This isn't the most responsible mentality, but people shouldn't presume they know the circumstances surrounding someone's lateness. Maybe the person works until midnight, or after, and dragging his or her exhausted self out of bed to endure rush hour traffic to make it to their 8 a.m. class is the most difficult task they will face that day.
Some people aren’t morning people, some people are procrastinators and some haven’t yet mastered time management. This doesn’t necessarily make them disrespectful, unreliable individuals. Making such a harsh judgement of character simply because they are a few minutes late actually compromises the character of the judger, portraying them as judgmental and unsympathetic.
The solution for being constantly late is quite simple: Strive to be on time but don’t scrutinize someone if they fail to do so. We shouldn’t stroll into work past the beginning of our shift, and we should respect our professors enough to soak up the entire class. Punctuality is in fact a trait for which to strive; however, understanding is a trait that should be appreciated just as much. So, before writing someone off for being a few minutes late, open your eyes and cut him or her a break.
Reach the columnist at dpharias@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @_Desirayray
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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