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>Perspective from someone who identifies as a tidsoptimist, Swedish for “time optimist” I also wondered all those things, and loved the word tidsoptimist. The
by romwell 2y ago
>Perspective from someone who identifies as a tidsoptimist, Swedish for “time optimist”
I also wondered all those things, and loved the word tidsoptimist.
Then I got diagnosed with ADHD as an adult at age 34, and it all clicked.
"Tidsoptimism" is an ADHD trait:
https://romankogan.net/adhd/#Being%20Late https://romankogan.net/adhd/#Being%20Late
A part of it is what's literally called Time Blindness:
https://romankogan.net/adhd/#Time%20Perception https://romankogan.net/adhd/#Time%20Perception
https://romankogan.net/adhd/#Time%20Blindness https://romankogan.net/adhd/#Time%20Blindness
The article we're discussing (as well the one you linked, and the one written by Tim Urban on the same issue[1], and the words you wrote) is a universal ADHD experience.
Figuring out that this is how my brain works helped immensely. Turns out, there is no need to make up new terms (tidsoptimist, "chronically late person", etc). The words have already been invented. And many people have already worked out solutions, mitigation strategies (...and meds[2]).
I hope that my links above will help some people learn something about themselves, and for others - to understand their friends and colleagues better.
And for hell's sake, let's take the moral charge out of lateness itself. I'm not saying that it should be acceptable: to the extent that someone being late affects other people, there may (and should be!) consequences.
But being late has a stigma even when it doesn't affect anyone else.
And it makes it more difficult to have a conversation like this: "I have time blindness. Let's talk about what you'll do if I don't make it on time, and what the consequences will be. I don't want to make you wait." - which both helps avoid lateness and often allows for a solution other than "everyone will be angrily waiting for the late person".
[1] https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/07/why-im-always-late.html https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/07/why-im-always-late.html
[2] https://romankogan.net/adhd#Medication https://romankogan.net/adhd#Medication