It is not just a matter of temperament. If you are having a conversation with your friend and she takes longer than usual to answer, you may ask if there is anything wrong. All through the day, we have certain expectations of duration, of how long something will take. If those expectations are not met, we may take steps to investigate or correct.
These days, we are used to phones that communicate our voices, a response voice, a text message, or show a web page that has loaded. I read that a group charged with checking how their company's web site worked found that a given page took 21 seconds to load. See if you can hold your breath for 21 seconds. See if the responses to key clicks or mouse clicks or finger taps take 21 seconds to respond. The investigators thought that many customers would abandon the web site if it took that long to get a response.
Whether it is a phone, a tv set, or a remote to open your car door, there is an expected time for the response. Without comparative data, maybe I am being too critical. Maybe native Americans would patiently wait for double that time without rancor or upset. I do wonder if we aren't maybe a little too rushed and habituated to speed if we can't wait 21 seconds for a result. Around me, people are getting in the mood to see snow cease and spring arrive. We still have more than 3 weeks before the official start of the spring season. Trying to push the seasons along, if only by wishing and mental means, might be affecting our desires for time to move along faster.
