NationStates Jolt Archive

...I couldn't be bothered?

Link (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/jul/20/psychology.mobilephones)

From which...

According to new research, one person in five now suffers from the problem [procrastination] so badly that their careers, relationships and health are threatened. Many researchers blame computers and mobile phones for providing too many distractions for people.

I suspect the number on NSG is about one person in...ammm...one?

Ferrari says that chronic procrastination is now so serious a condition it needs to be recognised by clinicians. In a study to be published later this year, he estimates that 15 to 20 per cent of people are chronic procrastinators. 'We now have data on 4,000 people, and it doesn't seem to matter what age you are, or your sex or background.'

Procrastination also has knock-on effects - it encourages depression, lowers self-esteem, causes insomnia, and indirectly affects health by discouraging visits to the dentist or doctor. Sufferers are also more likely to have accidents at home involving unmended appliances.

Quite like the idea that procrastination encourages anything :)

So what causes it?

Research by Professor Piers Steel from Calgary University indicates that the incidence of chronic procrastination has risen dramatically in recent decades, from one person in 20 to one in four, as new technology has come to dominate our lives. Even the beeps notifying the arrival of email are said to be causing a 0.5 per cent drop in gross domestic product in the United States, costing the economy $70bn a year.

Ferrari, however, is less convinced that new technology is to blame for time-wasting. 'People have wasted time for centuries,' he said. 'Lots of people, particularly people who often have to work under time constraints, put work off because they kid themselves that they work best when under pressure, when there's a deadline.

How does procrastination affect your life?

I'll do a poll later.

Its preventing me from doing any studying for the FE, so instead I'm posting on NSG. Thanks for helping me waste some more time :salute:

I am writing a novel. Well, trying.

I'll respond to this later.

I'm doing school-work right now.


....


>_>

Also from the article...

Once, humans probably did have stronger excuses for delaying chores that didn't need immediate attention, say brain scientists such as Alan Sanfey at Arizona University, whose work has shed light on the evolutionary origins of procrastination.

It appears that the brain is divided into two parts. One triggers 'automatic responses' which take precedence over everything else - such as fleeing sabre-toothed tigers. The other governs 'deliberate responses' - writing that report due next week or booking a visit to the optician. Evolution has dictated that the former take precedence. Today there aren't any sabre-toothed tigers, but we still put things off.

I don't know, maybe it's true but sometimes I feel evolutionary explanations are all so 'blame the sabre-tooth tiger' syndrome.

I just don't see procrastination being linked to the threat of being eaten, I'd say it comes from conserving energy when overly comfortable in life, to the point of boredom and depression - I suspect animals in zoos are fantastic procrastinators.

I'm the master procrastinator, both at work and on my own time.
At work, there are things that need to be done each month, doesn't matter which day, just on that month... not surprisingly, I always do them on the last week, usually just a day or two before the month changes.
It's bloody annoying, but I'm just a lazy bastard that can't get a hold of himself.

I think everyone just has too many things to do all the time, so in effect, we're always procrastinating.


Yeah, that sounds good.

It's probably to blame for me missing my GPA target at uni. I actually hate it, but I can't be bothered to do anything about it...

It's probably to blame for me missing my GPA target at uni. I actually hate it, but I can't be bothered to do anything about it...Nothing is worth giving up the precious sweet nectar of the gods, beer.

Ferrari says that chronic procrastination is now so serious a condition it needs to be recognised by clinicians.

Maybe the clinicians just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Actually, this is the cause of procrastination:

"If once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he next comes to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination."

Thomas De Quincey
:D

Actually, I think the cause of procrastination is the fact that, of all the things we have to do during the day, we actually need to do very few of them, and we want to do even fewer. That fact, even if we suppress awareness of it, tends to undermine motivation.

I am a queen procrastinator, and although it occasionally causes short-term annoyances, in the long-term, it has been nothing but a benefit to me. I cannot tell you how many bad decisions, choices, and moves I did not make because of that blessing called procrastination. It has kept me out of a world of trouble. And it has given me the time to make sure that the work I do is the best I can make it because I never rush things out. Finally, I spend hardly any time doing things I don't want to do. :)

I am a queen procrastinator, and although it occasionally causes short-term annoyances, in the long-term, it has been nothing but a benefit to me. I cannot tell you how many bad decisions, choices, and moves I did not make because of that blessing called procrastination. It has kept me out of a world of trouble. And it has given me the time to make sure that the work I do is the best I can make it because I never rush things out. Finally, I spend hardly any time doing things I don't want to do. :)

Hmm, when younger I was almost psychotic in my drive to do everything, anything. I had the philosophy that the only thing worth gaining was experience and that there was no real good or bad values on experience, it simply was.

I did some stupid things, really stupid but, in the words of Edith, je ne regrette rien...

...well maybe a couple of things :)

EDIT: I don't like this smilie, a little more smilie than I prefer, I liked the simple old, 'smile', not this cheeky chappy.

Hmm, when younger I was almost psychotic in my drive to do everything, anything. I had the philosophy that the only thing worth gaining was experience and that there was no real good or bad values on experience, it simply was.

I did some stupid things, really stupid but, in the words of Edith, je ne regrette rien...

...well maybe a couple of things :)
I don't think I was ever that young. I've regretted doing many things in my life, and every single one of them was something someone else thought I should do.

EDIT: I don't like this smilie, a little more smilie than I prefer, I liked the simple old, 'smile', not this cheeky chappy.
It looks like it's about to eat something, and since I don't know what it's about to lunge at with teeth bared, it makes me paranoid.

Generally, I don't give high marks to the new smilies.

Of course, procrastination is a mental disorder caused by overproduction of unneccessary material products in capitalism.

Of course, procrastination is a mental disorder caused by overproduction of unneccessary material products in capitalism.

Well naturally.

Well naturally.
Well, just think about it; while people on the other side of the world barely scrape by on malnutrition, we have access to all these ridiculously unneccessary material possessions, as well as our clothing made by slave labor.

Well, just think about it; while people on the other side of the world barely scrape by on malnutrition, we have access to all these ridiculously unneccessary material possessions, as well as our clothing made by slave labor.

I could not agree more. I could try but I would not succeed.

We live in a capitalist zoo, as long as we're fed reasonably on time, we've no thought to escape. In fact, you can even take the food of freedom away and as long as you do it bit by bit, we'll acquiesce.

Bring on forced labour.

The question is, what motivates people to contribute?

Surely not re-education to ein volk?

I could not agree more. I could try but I would not succeed.

We live in a capitalist zoo, as long as we're fed reasonably on time, we've no thought to escape. In fact, you can even take the food of freedom away and as long as you do it bit by bit, we'll acquiesce.

Bring on forced labour.

The question is, what motivates people to contribute?

Surely not re-education to ein volk?

Society and the old decayed order can only be liquidated by force and violence.

Society and the old decayed order can only be liquidated by force and violence.

If only we could be bothered eh?

If only we could be bothered eh?

If by WE you mean YOU, then yes. But reactionaries such as yourself were always on the other side of the fence, so to speak.

If by WE you mean YOU, then yes. But reactionaries such as yourself were always on the other side of the fence, so to speak.

Indeed, I hear Tasmania is up in arms these days under the red banner of Andaras.

First Tasmania, next...possibly Adelaide, those stoners could do with a little revolutionary fervour.

Indeed, I hear Tasmania is up in arms these days under the red banner of Andaras.

First Tasmania, next...possibly Adelaide, those stoners could do with a little revolutionary fervour.
I sense you have much hatred in you, and that's why you make personal attacks on others. It's sad to see a someone like you fall into self-hatred and hatred of your own class, and to become nothing but a pawn of the bourgeois.

I sense you have much hatred in you, and that's why you make personal attacks on others.

Reactionaries like me tend to do that.

It's sad to see a someone like you fall into self-hatred and hatred of your own class, and to become nothing but a pawn of the bourgeois.

Certainly makes my mother cry, she was hoping I'd own the bourgeois.

Why do you think I retired? Work was interfering with my procrastinating.

Quick! Tell the pharmaceuticals industry to make a drug to fix procrastination. I'd do it, but, ummm, I'm busy. Here. On NSG.

I would like to become a procrastinator, but I always put it off, oh well maybe tomorrow I can start it.

Procrastination is just like masturbation. It feels good at first but in the end you realise you have just fucked yourself.

Quick! Tell the pharmaceuticals industry to make a drug to fix procrastination. I'd do it, but, ummm, I'm busy. Here. On NSG.
Meh. I'm too busy procrastinating for that pharmacology homework to even bother with drugs.

what the hell is procrastination?

what the hell is procrastination?

I'll tell you tomorrow. :p

Procrastination is just like masturbation. It feels good at first but in the end you realise you have just fucked yourself.

There's a significant difference. Procrastination is not sticky.

There's a significant difference. Procrastination is not sticky.

Technically it is, one is stuck in procrastination, therefore it's sticky.

Well, just think about it; while people on the other side of the world barely scrape by on malnutrition, we have access to all these ridiculously unneccessary material possessions, as well as our clothing made by slave labor.

Are there no material goods under your ideal society then?

How does procrastination affect your life?

It makes it more fun. Seriously.

It means I don't schedule out every moment of my existence, and it adds a bit of challenge and risk to an otherwise monotonous life.

Fuck time management.

How does procrastination affect your life?

I'll do a poll later.

I'm procrastinating on my summer reading. (For school)

I'll take one sabre-toothed tiger, please. :$

Of course, procrastination is a mental disorder caused by overproduction of unneccessary material products in capitalism.

You should realize that there are bad things in the world which are not necissarilly the fault of capitalists. If an earthquake hit your town tomorrow, would that be the fault of evil capitalists as well?

For God's sake their are enough things to blame on capitalism. You don't need to make them up:rolleyes:.

You should realize that there are bad things in the world which are not necissarilly the fault of capitalists. If an earthquake hit your town tomorrow, would that be the fault of evil capitalists as well?

For God's sake their are enough things to blame on capitalism. You don't need to make them up:rolleyes:.

You know, in Capitalism there are consequences for procrastination such as job loss and hunger. In a communist society, how can society determine whether inactivity is due to sloth or real disability? Maybe he's producing according to his ability while consuming according to his needs. If needs > production for a significant portion of society, what happens?