There are many rules we make up in a society; when individuals abide by these rules, they are appreciated. One of these rules constitutes showing up at the time when you are supposed to. Punctual individuals are often praised because, regardless of circumstances, they always come in at the time or before the time they are supposed to. Yet, why is punctuality so important?
Punctuality shows that a person considers those around him or her important and respects them. In today’s world, a minute’s delay by one person can affect those around him.
For example, walking into a meeting 10 minutes late can disrupt the entire flow of the speaker. As the person walks in, he intrudes and presents himself as disrespectful to those around him.
Those who are continuously unpunctual disregard society’s golden rule of being on time. They do not care to show that they care enough for a cause and for those who are associated with the same cause. Aside from that, they tend to be late in more than one aspect of their life, responding late to important emails or texts for example.
While, in an increasingly networked world, it is important to take breaks from emails and texts, to always ignore those who are awaiting a response sometimes borders on being disrespectful.
Society often creates rules to improve communication and being punctual is a much larger part of communication than it seems to be. Respect is vital in any communication, whether it be between members of Congress or whether it be between the press and a public figure.
And the first step to show respect toward any other individual and to get communication started off on the right foot is to show up on time.
Therefore, while punctuality might seem like nothing other than a societal rule, it is much more important than it seems. If we began to show up at each other’s homes unannounced at late hours, we would all disrupt each other’s routines.
We would not respect each other’s privacy as well. Therefore, before being late for any important event, one should consider the impact his late arrival might have and take measures for preventing lateness a second time around.
