Society rewards obsession with time

Time urgency has been called “hurry sickness” by some healthcare professionals.

Time-urgent individuals are:

• Forever setting deadlines for themselves and others.
• Trying to do more than one thing at a time.
• Extremely preoccupied with time and the length of time necessary to finish tasks.
• Addicted to their watches.
• Frequently overly committed to their work.

Time-urgent people tend to think in terms of numbers, have trouble relaxing, keep their schedules overcommitted and have trouble listening to other people’s conversations.

I think I understand these individuals well because I myself am time-urgent. The pathogenesis of this problem in my case comes from several sources, including that of being a chi off the old block as they say. My father was very time-urgent during most of his life. I think I modeled myself after him to a large degree.

At the very least, time-urgent people are difficult to live with. At the worst, they damage their health because of the stress and pressure they inflict on themselves. One of the reasons people develop this characteristic is that most Western societies reward this type of behavior.

Time-urgent people often accomplish a lot within a short period of time. They tend to move upward within the organizations where they work. Through promotion, they tend to be recognized as “successful.” Their accomplishments are considered true achievements by those with whom they work.

Frequently, time-urgent people are found in service-oriented industries, such as health care, where there is a demand for getting things done quickly and efficiently.

They also can be found in businesses in which individuals work on a commission. Such peoples’ incomes are directly tied to the amount of productive time they spend doing something. The faster and more efficiently these people perform, the more money they make.

Time-urgent people sometimes become aware that for health reasons alone they should change their lifestyle. They may admire the “laidback” style of some of their friends and begin to seek companions who are not in a hurry, but who still accomplish a lot.

It may be hard for time-urgent people to believe, but those people do exist. They are out there and their way of approaching time certainly has a lot to offer those who are always in a hurry.

Next week, I will continue this discussion and suggest ways to alter time urgency.

Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1987