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Memories of the 28th Century

Early or Late

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I recently saw an item somewhere about morning people being more optimistic than other humans, but I didn’t have time right then to read it, so I looked for it again this morning. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find that article, I found one about morning people being proactive, and I am a bit dubious about that, because it was based on a smallish sample of college students, who might been joking when they answered. Then, this morning, I looked again and found on about how morning people are happier, and that one is somewhat accurate (see link), and it is interesting and it may be right. Then there is the article with 9 insights, and that is also good and interesting, but I didn’t like it, because the first insight is that early risers are not healthier, wealthier, or wiser, and I was hoping that Doctor Franklin was correct on those points.

It appears that my experience is typical, that people tend to become more morning-ish as they mature. I found that it is easier to get things done in the morning, because the late riser types were not in the way. I was overjoyed to learn that it is possible to do grocery shopping early and avoid the crowds, and that turned out to be true of many other things. These days I find myself wishing that more places of business were open earlier, so I could get things done early.

The article in the Standard has an optimistic title, but the article is ordinary enough, and I question whether morning people rule the world. I suspect that all day people rule the world, and the rulers of the world become evening people after they retire.

Is does appear that age is one of the main determinants of the time of day that one prefers. I remember that as a young child I wanted to stay up late, so that I could find out what went on then that my parents didn’t want me to see. When I did stay up later, I learned that there was nothing special then, but I kept doing it anyway. There seems to be a reason why “normal business hours” are the norm, and that is that most people can get themselves there during that period of time. People do different thigs at different times of day. I sometimes find myself going to a bar for a couple of beers about eight in the evening, and the bars are empty, but I live in a strange place where there aren’t restaurants open for the breakfast crowd.

One thing that I found interesting in the Standard article was that Winston Churchill read, ate, smoked, etc. in bed until Noon. If could was comfortable doing that, then good for him, but I would have just read and gotten up for food and drink. In fact, it would be interesting to look into the differences between people who can and do eat breakfast in bed and those of us who would get out of bed to eat, if served breakfast in bed. Even when I was in hospital I got out of bed to eat. Churchill was a highly skilled man, if he could eat breakfast in bed comfortably.

I was hoping that there would be significant revelations in this matter, but it turned out to be nothing. Well, if I wanted to I could make some assertions about the superiority of morning people, but only morning people would believe them, and one of the advantages of getting up early is that there aren’t a lot of people. There have even been mornings when I was the only customer in Starbucks for the first hour and avoiding crowds makes anything more pleasant.

If you happen to be a late riser, then please continue. The articles I found were reasonably interesting, but there has not been much research into the matter.



https://www.livescience.com/20880-mo...e-happier.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-mor...e-are-happier/
https://www.fastcompany.com/3046391/...ked-by-science
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/hea...r-in-life.html
https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle...d-6488205.html

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/...6.2009.00549.x
https://hbr.org/2010/07/defend-your-...s-get-the-worm
https://www.inc.com/news/articles/20...proactive.html

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