The way we think about abstract concepts like time is grounded in physical metaphors. For example, we talk about re-arranged events being moved from one day to another, as if through space. Similarly, there is a metaphorical, embodied aspect to our emotions – fear is associated with physical withdrawal, for example, whilst anger is associated with approach and confrontation. An intriguing new study shows that this shared way of thinking about time and emotion can lead to some surprising effects.
David Hauser and colleagues first showed that people with an angrier temperament are more likely to think of themselves as moving through time, than to think of time as moving towards them. You can test this on yourself by considering which day of the week a meeting has changed to, if it was originally planned for Wednesday but has been moved forward two days. If you think it’s now changed to Friday, then you’re someone who thinks of themselves as moving through time, whilst if you think the meeting is now on Monday, then you’re more passive, and you think about time passing you by.
BPS Research Digest (thanks, ReliegiousMarie)
At least that would explain my confusion with expressions like ‘moving forward’ when it comes to time. When they tell us that the clocks move forwards by one hour, I never know which way to turn the clock!
‘if it was originally planned for Wednesday but has been moved forward two days. If you think it’s now changed to Friday, then you’re someone who thinks of themselves as moving through time, whilst if you think the meeting is now on Monday, then you’re more passive, and you think about time passing you by.’
I immediately thought of it being changed to Tuesday… means I’m just a bit dopey I think!!
So I am the angrier person. Did anyone answer Monday?
This is a perspective issue and correlations are also not absolute, not all angry people think in such a fashion, but the correlation is interesting and does present a field of scientific inquiry that could be pursued. Various perspective and linguistic ambiguities have been utilized by people to great effect, Bandler & Grinder talked about this a great deal in their early works for therapy, and con artists have also talked their way into better states and situations in the same fashion, and Mentalists/Magicians cherry pick a little of column A and a little of column B to entertain people like you and I with such things.
Ehehehe … it had been moved to Monday .. I did not even get that first I’m afraid .. why they changed it forward with 4 days …. ehehehe ….. It’s my work planning meetings and such now and then so I myself can not see it that simple at all .. we will always check ofcourse whether it is this week or more in the future, if more in the future .. than we would not use the same words .. moving back or moving forward in time .. that’s how we would put it out in words .. to prevend misunderstandings …. We all know about those things that can screw up communication …
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Fear and perception of time .. Nope, not the links I see as something that needs extreme attention .. the link was and still is not upclose to me. It’s not that important. Time, when fear is in on the inside.
Some start to giggle when in fear … they dont act …
Moving forward through time .. Time … goes round and around … all the time … at times it’s more as if time passes and passes, whereas nothing changes … years fly by … (the cliche is so true .. with ageing .. time flies .. ). Does not have anything to do with fear .. but hey .. we are not all driven by fear, as some in the past once thought … But ofcourse, life is not the same as back then anymore.
Our perception of who we are and what happens when we are in fear will not be the same to all of us, I’m sure of that. People do not respond the same way to fear indeed. If you have a normal human interest you will know, how different people can be in many areas. Almost surreal … it takes some times till it comes clear … how different we deal with life. A respectfull distance is necessary once that has been settled between people ..
[...] Here’s a test: let’s say a meeting, originally scheduled for Wednesday, has been moved forward two days. What is the new day of the meeting? If you think it’s Friday, you imagine time as something you move through. If you think it’s Monday, you think of time as something that passes by you. So what? Well, according to the British Psychological Society, “Friday” people have an angrier disposition, than “Monday” people. The researchers also found that “thinking about moving through time can induce anger.” The researchers presented students with a computer screen flat on a desk, facing the ceiling. On it were the days of the week, in a vertical line with Saturday at the top, then Friday, Thursday, all the way down to Sunday at the bottom, nearest the participant. Commands were given that either provoked thoughts about moving through time, away from the participant (e.g. a meeting has moved forward two days from Sunday to Wednesday – please highlight the new day on the screen), or thoughts about time moving towards the participant (e.g. a shift down the screen, towards the participant from Wednesday to Sunday). Participants primed to think about their movement through time subsequently rated themselves as feeling angrier than participants in the “time moving towards them” condition. “Angry thoughts can change the way we think about time.” (Via Derren Brown) [...]
so who can splain why i keep thinking it’s a different day than it is, quite a lot lately? man that’s a PITA!
[...] The surprising links between anger and time perception August 12th, 2009 Here’s a test: let’s say a meeting, originally scheduled for Wednesday, has been moved forward two days. What is the new day of the meeting? If you think it’s Friday, you imagine time as something you move through. If you think it’s Monday, you think of time as something that passes by you. So what? Well, according to the British Psychological Society, “Friday” people have an angrier disposition, than “Monday” people. The researchers also found that “thinking about moving through time can induce anger.” The researchers presented students with a computer screen flat on a desk, facing the ceiling. On it were the days of the week, in a vertical…
[...] “Angry thoughts can change the way we think about time.” (Via Derren Brown) [...]
Surely if it was now on a Monday then it’d have been moved ‘back’ not forward? I’m a moving through time person without a doubt. I’ll be honest and admit that I look like that rabbit at times too so sounds like a good theory to me.
I had however, thought that everyone thought the same way about time. Explains quite a few things to learn that they don’t.
x
Maybe I’ve been working in film for too long, but if a production is moved forward (or a deadline), the standard is that you have less time to prepare for it….
Maybe this industry are all passive, though it generally seems to have the opposite effect !!!
TQ