I try to be environmentally conscious.
I try to make greener choices, recycle as much as I could, reduce my consumption and my waste, growing plants and composting organic waste.
But of recent, I’ve found myself not being very involved.
I choose to drive rather than take public transport. My plants are neglected along with my compost. I still recycle, but not very vigilant in ensuring that we’re making greener choices.
This is only one area, but I’ve neglected other areas as well such as my health, my studies and my family.
In the 1970s, social psychologists John Darley and Dan Batson conducted an experiment using seminary students. The students were to give a talk in a studio across campus. One-half of the students were told that the talk was about seminary jobs, and the other half was about the story of the Good Samaritan. The two groups were further given a time constraint of one of three types:
- High-Hurry constraint – "You’re late. They were expecting you a few minutes ago…You’d better hurry. It shouldn’t take but just a minute."
- Intermediate-Hurry constraint – "The assistant is ready for you, so please go right over.”
- Low-Hurry constraint – "It’ll be a few minutes before they’re ready for you, but you might as well head on over. If you have to wait over there, it shouldn’t be long."
Along the way to the studio each student passed a man sitting slumped at the doorway, coughing and appearing and need of assistance.
Would the students who were to give the talk on the Good Samaritan be more likely to help the man?
It turns out, no. The topic of the talk had no major effect on helping, but the amount of hurriedness did.
In Low-Hurry situation, 63% helped, in Medium-Hurry situation, 45% helped, and in High-Hurry situation, only 10% helped. Overall 40% of the students offered some help.
Knowing the right thing to do has no power over the lizard or monkey brain.
Being too busy reduces our ability to think.
We lose "presence" and no longer spend our time in the now but in a space of the past or the future. It causes us to miss many of the latent learnings and details in our lives.
By not being present we’re missing the best parts of our lives and losing sight of what is truly important.
Take time for things you truly care about.