The Lost Virtue

Finding peace when the person in front of you has nowhere to go and all day to get there. (6-minute read)

Scientists recently announced that they have discovered the amount of time in a split second. After research and data analysis from all over the country, they determined that a split second is the amount of time that passes from when the light turns green until the person behind you honks their horn. Yes, that was a joke. You’ve probably heard it. If you live in one of the more impatient areas of the country, where that kind of “split second” experience is common, you probably don’t see the humor.

All joking aside, patience (or the lack of it) has been the subject of considerable scientific study, primarily by phycologists. You may wonder why. Well, when companies understand more about why we become impatient, it can help them figure out how to avoid causing that to happen. That knowledge is something companies are willing to pay for because it can result in happy customers who spend more money. Those studies have revealed that Americans spend a total of 37 billion hours a year waiting…