We have bought into the idea that the busier you are, the more important your life is. A recent book, Time for Life (Pennsylvania State University Press, 1997), surveyed ten thousand people and found that, after tracking their true working hours, they actually worked fewer hours than they thought. The survey found that people tend to overstate the number of hours they work because it elevates their professional status, which elevates their imaged self-worth.
Another report from the “Americans’ Use of Time Project” at the University of Maryland (Los Angeles Times, December 11, 1996) agreed that there was a big gap between perception and reality in time use. If that’s so, then why does it feel as if there’s not a minute to spare? The report concluded, “A culture that promotes instant gratification also helps explain why life
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