Wondering about other people...what's normal?

[otcartsid]

hi! Im just curious how much time people spend thinking about their past and/or future compared to their present.

Like I would say I hardly ever look back (which is good cause my memory seems to suck B)) but on the other hand there are times I cant help but to live in a bit of a dream world thinking of how good my life can be :boy_hug:

I would say Im in present mode (I suppose this can mean planning up to 2 weeks in advance) like 83% of the time, future 15% of the time and the past 2% of the time

What breakup do you think your mind is in? Are there advantages of spending time thinking of the past? the future?

[Eclogite]

It is an interesting question, but I suspect you will not get accurate answers. People will respond honestly with how they think they distribute their time, but it will likely be very far from the truth.

 

In a slightly different context, every couple of years I check out how I am using my time at work. For a week I record my activities every five minutes, then analyse the proportion of time spent on different activities. It has always been quite different from how I think I am spending it. [incidentally I recommend this practice to anyone who wishes to improve their work efficiency.] I would be surprised if the same kind of differences between perception and reality did not apply in your case too.

[otcartsid]

That's a good idea to improve work efficiency.

I think you're right about a person's perception being different from reality. I've been thinking that a person's mood can affect what they concentrate on so the breakdown may change over time.

[Panjandrum]

The past is over, the future doesnt exist. I don't waste my time thinking about either, instead focusing on the present and 'near-present'.