It seems incredible, but there are people who seem to be unable to get to places on time despite planning their schedules and constantly looking at the clock . This is problematic, especially when this delay, which is related to the time at which you have started your journey to the meeting place, is compounded by last-minute unforeseen events, or when there is not much trust with the people waiting.

Arriving late is usually a nuisance for both the person who is waiting and the person who is late, and yet it is very common to leave just in time (or even at the time you have stayed). How can it be explained that it is so hard for us to learn from mistakes and leave early? There are different reasons that can explain the existence of these “chronic delays”.

Possible reasons for late arrival (always, everywhere)

There must be some explanation why certain people are very prone to be late everywhere , while others show an English punctuality. Can this difference have anything to do with any psychological aspect?

1. Being too narcissistic

People with narcissistic personalities are likely to have problems when it comes to putting themselves in other people’s shoes. This implies, among other things, that they will not assume that every time they are late they will cause discomfort to others and, in fact, they may find it pleasant to be kept waiting.

In the end, forcing yourself to be late to sites is a way of creating the illusion that you are important enough to keep everyone waiting to enjoy your company. However, these cases are not too frequent.

2. Last minute racing addiction

It may be difficult to understand, but the need to find shortcuts or methods to move fast and the adrenaline rush associated with being late can be considered something like a sport: you arrive late for a strange kind of pleasure.

And as such, it’s possible that it’s addictive. So it is understandable that some people take it as such, even if in an unconscious way, and take advantage of the slightest appointment or meeting as an excuse to live a little adventure against the clock.

3. You don’t want to arrive early

This reason is the most sensible from a cost-benefit logic. There are many reasons why someone may not want to arrive even one minute before the agreed time, and none of these need to be the intention of causing problems for others.

  1. Waiting is unproductive . Arriving early may be perceived as a waste of time. It does not give the impression of serving a clear purpose. Faced with the prospect of arriving too early and spending some time doing nothing, many people may delay their departure precisely by doing things that are apparently productive, such as cleaning the house, reading a book or even taking time to rest, something that could be done while waiting. Ironically, this drive towards productivity that leads to chronic tardiness would probably not be present if you didn’t have the perception of having to choose between that and spending some unproductive time at the agreed-upon meeting place.
  2. It’s boring . Arriving early means spending some time in monotony and discomfort. Waiting for someone means standing still for a few minutes, with nothing to do and nowhere else to go. Just as you know that the other person can get upset if he has to wait a long time, the person who tends to leave late knows that he can also get hurt if he has to wait.
  3. Affects self-image . For some people, waiting is a little challenge where we have to look interesting and offer a positive image of ourselves while being still because others have decided to. You can smoke, look at your smartphone, put on calculated poses… A situation similar to that which occurs when we go in an elevator with strangers.

Some psychological conclusions

In short, for these people arriving in advance is not something positive , but a possibility to avoid. Therefore, they rule out the possibility of leaving a few minutes earlier (either due to a conscious or unconscious decision), they only have the option of arriving just at the agreed time or later. And, since the “later” alternative consists of more moments than the first option, it is the more likely of the two possibilities. Outcome: late arrivals , always.

So you know: if you think one of these three reasons explains most of the cases where you are late, the main thing is to recognize it and fight to stop it. Just don’t put it off until tomorrow.