Don't be late.

Being late is one of the most disrespectful acts you can do. It’s a signal that your time matters more than mine, and I value my time more than anything. As humans, we’re already granted so little of it. Wasting precious moments on your selfishness is an afront to life itself. Am I taking things a little far? Perhaps, but only to prove the point that not showing up on time is sometimes even worse than not showing up at all.

I pride myself on being punctual. If I’m late, you bet your ass it’s for a good reason. Plus, if I’m even a little delayed, I definitely would contact you to let you know. As someone who values the seconds of my life ticking away, I also try to value the value of other people’s time. I find it hard to place myself in the shoes of people who do not share the same principle.

Every passing day I’m more convinced that the core issue with society today is ‘main character syndrome.’ The delusional belief that oneself is the center of the universe, and that the rest of society is NPCs, just lifelessly drifting through their world. I don’t want to sound like an old man yelling at the clouds, but social media, as addicting as it is, has caused irreparable damage to humankind.

In our online bubble, we are the center of our universe. We are constantly fed content specifically curated and chosen for us, and only us, by a data-driven algorithm. We have become accustomed to things being built “for you,” which has bled into our daily physical interactions. When the entire universe resolves around you, naturally everything else around you, including other people, lose most of its value.

Just as my son has no issue careening into bystanders playing GTA, people have become numb to the needs of others. Maybe we’re not at the point where we’re all running each other down in stolen cars, but many have certainly elevated their own needs over the respect of other humans.

My point is… stop being an asshole. Show up on time. Respect other people’s time. Just be decent.