RSA - Wait: The useful art of procrastination

Published: July 23, 2012, 11:15 a.m.

b'The twenty-first century is hectic. We live our lives at break-neck speed. We make snap judgements and decisions, which often harm us more than they help. \\n\\nFrank Partnoy, ex Wall Street high-flying derivative trader and self-confessed procrastinator, reveals the science behind our decision-making disasters and successes at work and at home, in matters of love, on the sports pitch, and in government. He argues that decisions of all kinds, whether \\u2018snap\\u2019 or long-term, benefit from being made at the last possible moment. \\n\\nThe art of knowing how long you can afford to delay before committing is at the heart of many a great decision, whether in a corporate takeover or a marriage proposal. Apologies are better received if they are not rushed; audiences listen more attentively if speakers pause first; people who can defer gratification are happier and more successful than those who must have everything now. Exploring decisions that must be made in a millisecond and those that take months and years, Partnoy demonstrates that the ability to wait is crucial to getting the right answer and that gut instincts are often wrong. \\n\\nJoin Frank Partnoy at the RSA as he shows how training our brains to wait can be genuinely life-changing.'