5 ms·

I tell my kids this aphorism: Early is on-time. On-time is late.

by flerchin 2y ago

anal_reactor 2y ago
Early is on-time. On-time is late. Late is how most people behave.
mikenew 2y ago
Showing up early just makes other people feel like they did something wrong by showing up on time.
- synecdoche 2y ago
  It could be argued that people can’t be made to feel anything, apart from pain. How people react, on the other hand, may be quite different.
  - recursive 2y ago
    True. Probably wouldn't be a very good argument though.
- flerchin 2y ago
  Other people's feelings about a dimension don't change the dimension.
  - lxgr 2y ago
    In a social context, almost everything some people do changes how other people feel.
mongol 2y ago
This makes a lot of sense. But where it really matters, say train departure times, are there rules that the doors are closing precisly at X seconds? Or is it arbitrary?
- flerchin 2y ago
  Won't be a problem if you're there on-time.
- oniony 2y ago
  In the UK the doors close 30 seconds before the advertised departure time.
  - jstanley 2y ago
    In the UK you're lucky if the train has even arrived 30 seconds before the advertised departure time.
    - maleldil 2y ago
      That's not really true. In my experience (London), the trains are on-time more often than not.
- 1718627440 2y ago
  What is specified is the actual departure time of the train. Before that it has to be decided to start closing the doors, the doors must be closing, the secure closure must be determined by the train leader and the train leader has to order the train driver to start driving. How long that takes depends on the train. For short-distance trains it's ~15seconds for long-distance ~1minute.
pests 2y ago
Depends on the power dynamic and the goals for the meeting, and what position you hold, no?
- flerchin 2y ago
  No it does not. Time is not a dimension that changes depending upon power dynamic.
  - lxgr 2y ago
    Time isn't, but punctuality, as a social as opposed to physical phenomenon, most certainly is.
    - pclmulqdq 2y ago
      It's disrespectful to be late no matter the power dynamic. In some power dynamics, it's okay to be disrespectful, though.
      - deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
      - ninalanyon 2y ago
        If the social group in question regards 13:00 as meaning between 13:00 and 13:10 then arriving at 13:05 is arriving on time and no one is bothered or inconvenienced. Being late is not simply a property of the clock time but also of the society you are part of. In England arriving early for a dinner party is going to get you at least a dirty look, arriving half an hour late just means that you might miss a pre-dinner drink. In Norway, if you are ten minutes late the host might send out a search party.
        pclmulqdq 2y ago
        "Late" here means "arriving after the social expectation." In many places in the Americas, you can be (and are expected to be) an hour "late" for a party of any kind. That doesn't mean you are late. In a Western business context, "late" comes about 1-2 minutes after the meeting starts.
andix 2y ago
This vastly depends on culture and context. We consider it impolite, if you show up for an invitation at someone’s home before the time you were invited for. Many would say it is even impolite to show up less then 5 minutes late, and consider being 10-15 minutes late the best, and up to 30-45 minutes acceptable. For a business appointment or doctor's appointment, where there is an assistant that opens the door and a waiting area, it's expected to be early, so that you are already in front of the correct room when the appointment starts.
- pknomad 2y ago
  I have a funny anecdote. I don't know if it's a Korean thing or my mom-specific thing but she had very strong opinion about being early. For her 15 minutes early == on time. To reinforce this notion, she would set the house clocks later by some random undetermined minutes. The clocks in her home would all differ slightly so you could never tell what time it actually was unless you looked at your phone but you'd know you're little bit early to things for sure. Good times.
  - anonym29 2y ago
    She didn't by chance serve in the military or a civil auxiliary branch, did she? "Early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable" was drilled into me while doing Civil Air Patrol back in secondary school (high school) and I habitually set all my clocks 5 minutes ahead, still, to this day.
    - pknomad 2y ago
      She did not, but I would not be surprised if she picked it up for my granddad (he was in the UDU - precursor to the now ROK UDT/Flotilla).
- hammock 2y ago
  It’s an aphorism
  - 2y ago
xoxxala 2y ago
We always taught our kids that if you’re not five minutes early, you’re late. One boy took it to heart and is very prompt. The other, eh, not so much. He was almost late to his own wedding.
- andix 2y ago
  Technically speaking you can’t be late to your own wedding. If you’re not there, it isn’t your wedding. ;)
andy800 2y ago
Isn't this phrase commonly known (in USA) as Lombardi Time?

I tell my kids this aphorism: Early is on-time. On-time is late.

anal_reactor 2y ago

Early is on-time. On-time is late. Late is how most people behave.

mikenew 2y ago

Showing up early just makes other people feel like they did something wrong by showing up on time.

synecdoche 2y ago
It could be argued that people can’t be made to feel anything, apart from pain. How people react, on the other hand, may be quite different.
- recursive 2y ago
  True. Probably wouldn't be a very good argument though.
flerchin 2y ago
Other people's feelings about a dimension don't change the dimension.
- lxgr 2y ago
  In a social context, almost everything some people do changes how other people feel.

mongol 2y ago

This makes a lot of sense. But where it really matters, say train departure times, are there rules that the doors are closing precisly at X seconds? Or is it arbitrary?

flerchin 2y ago
Won't be a problem if you're there on-time.
oniony 2y ago
In the UK the doors close 30 seconds before the advertised departure time.
- jstanley 2y ago
  In the UK you're lucky if the train has even arrived 30 seconds before the advertised departure time.
  - maleldil 2y ago
    That's not really true. In my experience (London), the trains are on-time more often than not.
1718627440 2y ago
What is specified is the actual departure time of the train. Before that it has to be decided to start closing the doors, the doors must be closing, the secure closure must be determined by the train leader and the train leader has to order the train driver to start driving. How long that takes depends on the train. For short-distance trains it's ~15seconds for long-distance ~1minute.

pests 2y ago

Depends on the power dynamic and the goals for the meeting, and what position you hold, no?

flerchin 2y ago
No it does not. Time is not a dimension that changes depending upon power dynamic.
- lxgr 2y ago
  Time isn't, but punctuality, as a social as opposed to physical phenomenon, most certainly is.
  - pclmulqdq 2y ago
    It's disrespectful to be late no matter the power dynamic. In some power dynamics, it's okay to be disrespectful, though.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
    - ninalanyon 2y ago
      If the social group in question regards 13:00 as meaning between 13:00 and 13:10 then arriving at 13:05 is arriving on time and no one is bothered or inconvenienced. Being late is not simply a property of the clock time but also of the society you are part of. In England arriving early for a dinner party is going to get you at least a dirty look, arriving half an hour late just means that you might miss a pre-dinner drink. In Norway, if you are ten minutes late the host might send out a search party.
      - pclmulqdq 2y ago
        "Late" here means "arriving after the social expectation." In many places in the Americas, you can be (and are expected to be) an hour "late" for a party of any kind. That doesn't mean you are late. In a Western business context, "late" comes about 1-2 minutes after the meeting starts.

andix 2y ago

This vastly depends on culture and context. We consider it impolite, if you show up for an invitation at someone’s home before the time you were invited for. Many would say it is even impolite to show up less then 5 minutes late, and consider being 10-15 minutes late the best, and up to 30-45 minutes acceptable. For a business appointment or doctor's appointment, where there is an assistant that opens the door and a waiting area, it's expected to be early, so that you are already in front of the correct room when the appointment starts.

pknomad 2y ago
I have a funny anecdote. I don't know if it's a Korean thing or my mom-specific thing but she had very strong opinion about being early. For her 15 minutes early == on time. To reinforce this notion, she would set the house clocks later by some random undetermined minutes. The clocks in her home would all differ slightly so you could never tell what time it actually was unless you looked at your phone but you'd know you're little bit early to things for sure. Good times.
- anonym29 2y ago
  She didn't by chance serve in the military or a civil auxiliary branch, did she? "Early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable" was drilled into me while doing Civil Air Patrol back in secondary school (high school) and I habitually set all my clocks 5 minutes ahead, still, to this day.
  - pknomad 2y ago
    She did not, but I would not be surprised if she picked it up for my granddad (he was in the UDU - precursor to the now ROK UDT/Flotilla).
hammock 2y ago
It’s an aphorism
- 2y ago

xoxxala 2y ago

We always taught our kids that if you’re not five minutes early, you’re late. One boy took it to heart and is very prompt. The other, eh, not so much. He was almost late to his own wedding.

andix 2y ago
Technically speaking you can’t be late to your own wedding. If you’re not there, it isn’t your wedding. ;)

andy800 2y ago

Isn't this phrase commonly known (in USA) as Lombardi Time?