Why are some people always late for appointments?

Some psychological clues about "late" people.

It seems incredible, but there are people who seem to be incapable of arriving on time despite planning their schedules and constantly looking at their watches.. It is problematic, especially when this delay, which is related to the time at which the journey to the meeting place has started, is coupled with 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 delayed, and yet it is very common to leave just in time (or even at the time you were scheduled). How can it be explained that we find it so difficult to learn from our mistakes and leave early? There are different reasons that can explain the existence of these "chronic latecomers".

Possible reasons for being late (always, everywhere)

There must be some explanation why certain people are very prone to be late everywhere, while others display English punctuality.Could this difference have something to do with a psychological aspect?

1. Being overly narcissistic

People with a narcissistic personality are prone to having problems when it comes to putting themselves in other people's shoes. This implies, among other things, that they will not accept the fact that every time they are late they will cause inconvenience to others and, in fact, they may find the feeling of being kept waiting pleasurable.

After all, forcing yourself to be late to places is a way of creating the illusion that you are important enough that everyone has to wait to enjoy your company. However, these cases are not too frequent.

2. Addiction to last-minute rushing

It may be hard to understand, but the need to find shortcuts or methods to move fast and the adrenaline release associated with being late can be considered something of a sport: you're late for some sort of strange pleasure.

And as such, it is likely to be addictive. It is therefore understandable that some people take it as such, albeit unconsciously, 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 a minute before the agreed time, and none of them has to be the intention of causing problems to others.

Some psychological conclusions

In short, for these people, arriving early is not a positive thing.but a possibility to be avoided. Therefore, they rule out the possibility of leaving a few minutes early (whether 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 is composed of more moments than the first option, it is the more likely of the two possibilities. Result: late arrivalsalways.

So now you know: if you think that one of these three reasons explains most of the cases in which you are late, the main thing is to recognize it and fight so that this is no longer the case. Just don't put it off until tomorrow.

• It's boring. Arriving early means spending 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 it is known that the other person may be annoyed if he/she has to wait a long time, the person who tends to leave late knows that he/she may also be harmed if he/she has to wait.
• Affects self-image. For some people, waiting is a bit of a challenge in which we must appear interesting and offer a positive self-image while standing still because others have decided to do so. You can smoke, look at your smartphone, strike calculated poses.... A situation similar to when we ride in elevators with strangers.