Wait! Instant Decision May Not be the Best Decision

Modern technology has taken its toll on waiting that is now a lost art, as the need to speed up is making people take their decisions and actions instantly, a book claims. Author Professor Frank Partnoy said that the 'crush of technology' drives us to 'make instant decisions' and follow our short-term animal instincts.

But he insists that it is often better to be patient and take time to think things over.

In Wait: The Useful Art of Procrastination, Professor Partnoy, a leading expert on finance from the University of San Diego, has written that children who delay their reactions end up 'happier, more successful, superior at building social skills, feeling empathy and resolving conflicts'.

"Not waiting is causing us to make worse decisions and to be less focused. Our ability to think about the future is what separates us from animals, but technology is making us act instantly and make instant decisions," the Daily Mail quoted Professor Partnoy as saying.

"We need to start reacting like humans, and not like animals for the benefit of our long-term interest, not just for short-term gain," he said.

He said waiting often implied that problems 'change or go away', and could be of help in a number of areas of life, such as dating or sport.

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The book features Professor Partnoy's discussion with top tennis coach Angel Lopez, who pointed out that Jimmy Connors changed the game by waiting as long as possible before hitting a return shot, giving his brain more time to analyse where the ball was coming from and at what speed.

"There is no set time for everything but the idea is to tell people that they have much longer than they think to make their decision, and that time will help them make a better decision," he added.

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Source-ANI