Psychologist Philip Zimbardo makes the case that a fundamental difference in people, individually and between cultures, is our orientation to time. Life is full of temptations, Zimbardo tells us, and how we ‘handle’ temptation is a basic element relating to how we approach life. And the way we deal with matters in our life is conditioned on our perception of time. Indeed, studies show that children who resist temptation and delay gratification grow up to be happier and more-successful people. Whereas those who impulsively satisfy their immediate desires, or people who re-live the past (because of glories or guilt they ruminate about) are less happy. Zimbardo sets out six basic Time Perspectives: • Past - Focus on Positives • Past - Focus on Negatives • Present - Hedonism • Present - Fatalism • Future - Life-Goal Oriented • Fut...
The fearless blog about homelessness that serves the city and county of Sacramento, CA. Written by Tom Armstrong