Solving Procrastination

procrastination is the thief of time essay 400 words

Procrastination Is the Thief of Time

“Procrastination is the thief of time” is a saying that denotes that procrastinating —postponing things unnecessarily—causes people to waste a lot of their time. This saying is meant to encourage people to take action in a timely manner, instead of delaying.

This is one of the most famous sayings about procrastination and its dangers, so it’s helpful to understand it. As such, in the following article you will learn more about this saying, and see what procrastination is and what you can do to overcome it.

Examples of procrastination as the thief of time

One example of procrastination as the thief of time is a student who postpones studying for hours by browsing social media instead, and then ends up doing badly on their exam because they didn’t have enough time left to study properly.

In addition, the following are other examples of procrastination as the thief of time, since in all these situations, the procrastinator wastes a large amount of their time postponing things unnecessarily:

  • Someone who wastes several days before getting started on an important assignment, which means that they have to rush to finish it in a hasty and stressful manner right before the deadline.
  • Someone who wastes months before finally approaching a person that they’re interested in romantically, only to find out that in the time they’ve delayed, this person has entered a relationship with someone else.
  • Someone who wastes years before starting to work on a project that they’re passionate about, such as writing a book or building a business , while constantly struggling with the guilt and shame of not being able to make progress toward their goal.

Quotes about procrastination as the thief of time

The phrase “procrastination is the thief of time” was coined by English poet Edward Young in his 1742 long poem “Night-Thoughts” (whose full title is “The Complaint: or Night Thoughts on Life, Death, and Immortality”). In the poem, Young wrote the following:

As sudden, though for years admonished home: Of human ills the last extreme beware, Beware, Lorenzo! a slow-sudden death. How dreadful that deliberate surprise? Be wise today, ’tis madness to defer; Next day the fatal precedent will plead; Thus on, till wisdom is pushed out of life: Procrastination is the thief of time, Year after year it steals, till all are fled, And to the mercies of a moment leaves The vast concerns of an eternal scene.

Since then, the concept of procrastination as the thief of time has been discussed by various other people, as demonstrated in the following quotes :

“My advice is, never do to-morrow what you can to-day. Procrastination is the thief of time. Collar him.” — Charles Dickens, in his 1850 novel “ David Copperfield ” (this is part of the advice given by the character of Mr. Micawber to the character of David Copperfield)
“The greatest thief this world has ever produced is procrastination, and he is still at large.” — Attributed to Josh Billings (the pen name of Henry Wheeler Shaw)
“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked, and dejected with a lost opportunity. The ‘tide in the affairs of men’ does not remain at the flood; it ebbs. We may cry out desperately for time to pause in her passage, but time is deaf to every plea and rushes on. Over the bleached bones and jumbled residue of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words: ‘Too late.’ There is an invisible book of life that faithfully records our vigilance or our neglect.” — Martin Luther King, in “ Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence ” (a 1967 speech at Riverside Church in New York City)

Other quotes about the dangers of procrastination

In addition to being the thief of time, procrastination is also associated with various other dangers, as mentioned in the following quotes :

“Procrastination has been called a thief—the thief of time. I wish it were no worse than a thief. It is a murderer; and that which it kills is not time merely, but the immortal soul.” — William Nevins, in “ Practical Thoughts ” (1835)
“Procrastination is opportunity’s natural assassin.” — Source unknown, often attributed to Victor Kiam, who popularized the saying (circa 1986)
“… you shall find that delay breeds danger, & that procrastination in perils is but the mother of mishap.” — Robert Greene in “ Gwydonius; The Card of Fancy ” (1584)
“The dread of doing a task uses up more time and energy than doing the task itself.” — Rita Emmett, describing what she calls “Emmett’s law”, in “ The Procrastinator’s Handbook: Mastering the Art of Doing It Now ” (2000)
“While we are postponing, life speeds by.” — Seneca (Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger), in “ Letters from a Stoic ” (Letter 1, Verse 2), written circa 65 CE
“Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.” — Attributed to Wayne Gretzky
“You may delay, but time will not.” — Attributed to Benjamin Franklin, who published it in “ Poor Richard’s Almanack ” (Item 665), published in the middle of the 1700s
“… a man who procrastinates in his CHOOSING will inevitably have his choice made for him by circumstance…” — Hunter S. Thompson in “ A man has to BE something “, from the “ Letters of Note ” collection

Research about the dangers of procrastination

Scientific research on procrastination supports the claims that it can be a thief of time, and also shows that it’s associated with a wide range of other issues .

For example, students  often report  that procrastination occupies over a third of their daily activities, usually in the form of behaviors such as sleeping, watching TV, or playing video games. Accordingly, it’s not surprising that, among students , procrastination is associated with various academic issues ,  such as worse exam scores, worse grades, increased course failures, increased course withdrawals, and an increased likelihood of dropping out.

Furthermore, procrastination has also been shown to be associated with various other issues. For example, procrastination is associated with various employment and financial issues, such as earning a lower salary, having shorter durations of employment, and having a higher likelihood of being unemployed or under-employed (as opposed to working full‐time). In addition, procrastination is associated with worse emotional wellbeing , various physical  and  mental health issues (e.g., stress ), and the tendency  to  delay getting treatment for these issues.

Accordingly, procrastination has been called a thief of other things beyond time, such as happiness .

The prevalence of procrastination

In addition to being associated with a wide range of dangers and negative effects, procrastination is also very common, as it chronically affects around 20% of adults.

Furthermore, many more people than that engage in various forms of procrastination in general. For example, in a study on an adult sample, 74% of people who were surveyed indicated that they go to bed later than they planned to at least once a week, with no external reason for doing so.

In addition, procrastination is especially common among certain populations. Notably, around 50% of college students procrastinate in a consistent and problematic manner, around 75% consider themselves to be procrastinators, and around 80%–95%  engage in procrastination to some degree.

Causes of procrastination

People procrastinate because their drive to delay is irrationally stronger than their drive to act . This generally happens because their self-control and motivation are weakened by issues such as exhaustion and delayed outcomes, and are opposed by a preference for feeling better in the short term, as well as by emotional issues such as  anxiety and fear .

Specifically, the drive to act represents how strongly driven people are to take action at the moment. It depends primarily on people’s self-control and motivation, which are influenced by various factors. For example, at any given moment, a person’s self-control can be influenced by how tired they are, while their motivation can be influenced by how long they will have to wait before being rewarded for taking action. Accordingly, issues such as exhaustion and delayed outcomes can interfere with self-control and motivation, and consequently reduce people’s drive to act, as can many other issues, such as depression , ADHD , and low self-efficacy .

Conversely, the drive to delay represents how strongly people feel pushed to avoid taking action at the moment. It depends primarily on the desire to feel better in the short term , by avoiding negative emotions (e.g., anxiety and fear  that are associated with a certain task), and by increasing positive emotions (e.g., enjoyment from digital entertainment ), a behavior described as “giving in to feel good”. This drive can involve various underlying issues, such as perfectionism , which are often also rooted in the desire to feel better in the short term from an emotional perspective.

Accordingly, although procrastination often leads to issues in managing time , it’s driven primarily by issues with regulating emotions . In addition, procrastination is strongly associated with the concept of akrasia , which is a state of mind where someone acts against their better judgment, due to a lack of sufficient self-control.

Based on this psychological framework, the following are the key issues that can lead to procrastination:

  • Prioritization of short-term mood (i.e., preferring to feel better now even if this will lead to feeling worse later).
  • Task aversiveness (i.e., finding a task to be frustrating, boring, or unpleasant in another way).
  • Anxiety and fear (e.g., due to concerns of being criticized for your work).
  • Feeling overwhelmed (e.g., due to having so many things to do that it’s unclear where to start).
  • Perfectionism (e.g., due to refusing to publish work that has any flaws).
  • Disconnect from the future self (e.g., viewing the consequences of your delay as something that someone else will experience).
  • Delayed outcomes (e.g., due to discounting of rewards that will only be given in the far future ).
  • Low motivation (e.g., due to low-value outcomes , low expectancy of achieving outcomes , or difficulty in associating tasks with their outcomes ).
  • Expected effort (e.g., due to hard tasks).
  • Inertia (i.e., the tendency to keep procrastinating once you’ve started).
  • Abstract goals (i.e., ones that aren’t clear and well-defined).
  • Cognitive biases (e.g., a bias that makes you unreasonably pessimistic about your odds of success).
  • Time-management issues (e.g., failure to prioritize tasks ).
  • Problematic traits (e.g., impulsivity and distractibility).
  • Underlying behaviors (e.g., self-handicapping, sensation seeking, or rebellion against an authority figure).
  • Underlying conditions (e.g., depression and ADHD ).
  • Low energy (e.g., due to lack of sleep ).
  • Low capacity for self-control (e.g., due to exhaustion).
  • Problematic environment (e.g., one that’s filled with distractions or has negative peer influence).

For more information about the causes of procrastination, see the guide on why people procrastinate .

Many of these issues are interrelated . For example, depression can cause lack of energy, lack of energy can exacerbate anxiety, and anxiety can increase task aversiveness, which can cause procrastination due to prioritization of short-term mood. Similarly, the effect of anxiety on procrastination can be influenced by various factors, such as people’s self-efficacy and mindfulness .

Furthermore, the relationship between these issues and procrastination is complex for other reasons. For example, while some types of perfectionism and fear generally increase procrastination, others generally decrease it (by increasing the motivation to act). Accordingly, the exact way in which these issues influence people’s behavior can vary across situations.

Finally, note that the issues that cause procrastination can lead to problematic cycles . For example, this can happen when someone is anxious about a task, so they procrastinate on it, which causes them to do badly, which makes them more anxious about similar tasks, which makes them likely to procrastinate again for the same reason in the future.

Solutions to procrastination

To stop procrastinating right now , identify the smallest possible step you can take to make progress toward your goals, and try to start with just that tiny step, while giving yourself permission to make mistakes during the attempt. For example, if you need to write an essay, you can decide to start by writing just a single sentence, while accepting that it won’t be perfect, and might even be quite bad at first.

In addition, you can also make it easier to get started, for example by preparing everything that you need for your work without yet trying to start the work itself, and also make it harder to procrastinate, for example by eliminating potential distractions from your environment.

To overcome procrastination in the long term, do the following:

  • Set specific and realistic goals. For example, if you want to start exercising, a good goal might be “manage to run for 1 mile straight by the end of the month”, while bad goals might be “do some running” (unspecific) and “run a marathon by the end of the month” (unrealistic).
  • Assess your procrastination. First, identify situations where you delay unnecessarily, to figure out  how you procrastinate (e.g., by browsing social media ). Then, think about those situations to also figure out where and when you procrastinate (e.g., on starting or finishing tasks, in the morning or evening, at home or the library). Finally, figure out why you procrastinate (e.g., due to perfectionism , fear , anxiety , depression , ADHD , sensation seeking , or abstract goals ), potentially after reading why people procrastinate .
  • Create an action plan based on relevant anti-procrastination techniques , while accounting for the goals that you set and the nature of your procrastination problem.
  • Implement your plan , and then monitor your progress and refine your approach, primarily by figuring out which techniques work for you and how you can implement them most effectively.

The following are key anti-procrastination techniques you can use:

  • Break tasks into manageable steps (e.g., sub-tasks you can easily complete).
  • Commit to a tiny first step (e.g., working for just 2 minutes).
  • Give yourself permission to make mistakes (e.g., by accepting that your work will be imperfect).
  • Make it easier to take action (e.g., by preparing everything you need in advance).
  • Make tasks more enjoyable (e.g., by listening to music).
  • Make it harder to procrastinate (e.g., by eliminating potential distractions).
  • Delay before indulging the impulse to procrastinate (e.g., by counting to 10 first).
  • Set deadlines (e.g., by deciding that you’ll complete a certain task by tomorrow evening).
  • Plan how you will deal with obstacles (e.g., by deciding that if X happens, then you’ll do Y).
  • Identify and address your fears (e.g., by considering what advice you would give to a friend).
  • Increase your motivation (e.g., by marking streaks of days on which you achieve your goals).
  • Increase your energy (e.g., by taking necessary breaks).
  • Improve your environment (e.g., by adding reminders of your goals).
  • Use social techniques (e.g., emulating a role model).
  • Use time-management techniques (e.g., alternating consistently between work and rest).
  • Create starting rituals (e.g., counting down from five to zero).
  • Start with your best or worst task (e.g., your easiest or hardest one).
  • Develop self-efficacy (e.g., by reflecting on your successes).
  • Develop self-compassion (e.g., by reminding yourself that everyone makes mistakes).
  • Treat underlying conditions (e.g., ADHD).

For more information about these techniques and how to use them effectively, see the guide on how to stop procrastinating .

You can use any combination of techniques that you want , but should start by focusing on a few that seem most relevant to your situation.

You will likely benefit from writing things down , such as your goals and plan. This can have various benefits, such as helping you think more clearly and making your decisions feel more concrete.

You can use a similar approach as an intervention to help someone else stop procrastinating , by doing the above on their behalf, doing it together with them, or encouraging them to do it themselves.

Finally, remember that imperfect action is generally better than no action , so you’ll benefit more from trying to do just some of the above, than from getting stuck doing nothing at all. Furthermore, the longer you delay, the more likely you are to do nothing, so you should start right now, while understanding that you’ll probably get some things wrong at first, but that you’ll be able to improve your approach over time.

If you feel overwhelmed , just start with the first technique in this section (committing to a tiny step), until you feel ready to do more.

  • Skip to main content

India’s Largest Career Transformation Portal

Procrastination is the Thief of Time: Essay, Meaning, Expansion

January 6, 2021 by Sandeep

Essay on Procrastination is the Thief of Time: Acting lazy and procrastinating leads to delay in getting things done. Procrastination breeds delays and causes mishaps. Procrastination has a detrimental effect on time and makes the job boring, unending and complicated. People tend to miss deadlines and deliver poor quality products and services.

Essay on Procrastination is the Thief of Time

We have provided Procrastination is the Thief of Time Essay in English, suitable for class 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10.

“Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases, and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.” -Wayne Gretzky

Procrastination is delaying the completion of tasks at hand. When individuals choose to do something at the nick of time, even after knowing that it might lead to harmful or undesirable consequences, it refers to putting things off. For example, a student has to submit a 25-page report and has a whole week to do it. He or she might think that seven days is a whole lot of time on their hands. He or she might wait till the last day to complete the report or in some cases, may even start working on it just hours before the submission.

The example clearly shows that procrastination is indeed the thief of time. In a study conducted by the University of Vermont, it was found that about 46% of college-going students tend to always procrastinate at the time of paper submissions, completing assignments, studying for exams and reading text material.

Why do People Procrastinate?

One reason for people being procrastinators can be if they tend to look at themselves as perfectionists. A perfectionist will always try to put off doing something new or unfamiliar because he or she might not be able to carry out their tasks correctly. They are scared of making mistakes and do not wish to look vulnerable. The next reason people prefer to procrastinate is that they fear the unknown. Let’s take an example. Anil, a 30-year older man, is suffering from severe hair fall. He might think that it is just a sign of him getting old and avoid going to the doctor whereas, it might be a sign of cancer.

Even if the thought of having cancer comes to Anil’s mind, he feels that since his family history is free from cancer, there is no way that he could get it. This is a wrong belief and mindset. It is often said that what you don’t know, can’t hurt you, but it is not advisable to follow this. People also tend to put off doing heavy and cumbersome tasks that require a lot of time and effort. They instead prefer carrying out smaller or filler tasks that give them immediate results and rewards.

How to Stop Procrastinating

One of the very simple ways to stop procrastinating is by dividing the work into smaller parts. If you find the task to be a big load, then you can always break it down into little bits that can be completed one after another. This will give you a feeling of constant achievement and progress.

The second way can be by changing our environment. Often, looking and working at the same place day in and day out can make us less productive. If you get distracted continuously from studying in your room, and all you can think about is snuggling up in your warm bed and going off to sleep, then shifting your books and other study materials to the balcony or the dining table might be a good idea. Lastly, surrounding yourself with people who inspire you and encourage you to keep going and not put your foot down can also help you stop procrastinating.

Procrastination is the thief of time

What's the meaning of the phrase 'procrastination is the thief of time'.

Putting off an action leads to time wasting. If something is necessary, it is best to act quickly to accomplish it.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Procrastination is the thief of time'?

The English writer Edward Young, who coined this saying, published The Complaint: or, Night-Thoughts on Life, Death, & Immortality , more simply known as Night-Thoughts , in 1742. Although Young isn’t as widely as contemporaries like Pope and Samuel Johnson, he was revered by them and Johnson called him ‘was a man of genius and a poet’. The Night-Thoughts poem itself is a major work and has been described as the 18th century’s greatest long poem. Long is unarguable; it consists of nearly 10,000 lines of blank verse. It is in nine sections – the ‘Nights’ of the title and was published in serial form between 1742 and 1746.

Be wise to-day; ’tis madness to defer; Next day the fatal precedent will plead; Thus on, till wisdom is push’d out of life. Procrastination is the thief of time; Year after year it steals, till all are fled, And to the mercies of a moment leaves The vast concerns of an eternal scene.

A similar thought, published in a work that would have been known to Young is found in Robert Greene’s  Gwydonius , 1584:

You shall finde that delaie breedes daunger, & that procrastination in perils is but the mother of mishap.

Browse more Phrases

About the author, gary martin, phrases & meanings.

Proactivity Lab

LOGO of Proactivity Lab

"Procrastination Is The Thief Of Time": Exploring The Timeless Proverb

a gloomy desert and an hourglass reflecting time being stolen by procrastination, depicting the meaning of the proverb Procrastination Is the Thief of Time

Picture yourself on an exciting treasure hunt, searching for a box filled with advice that’s stood the test of time. Today, you’re invited to embark on this adventure, with one of the most famous and intriguing sayings about procrastination: “ Procrastination is the Thief of Time .”

Your adventure will take you back through the ages, exploring the fascinating history of this impactful phrase. You’ll learn where it came from, who said it, what it really means, and how it evolved.

You might wonder why you should care about an old saying. Well, understanding the wise words from the past can help you handle today’s challenges and plan for tomorrow’s possibilities.

The saying “ Procrastination is the Thief of Time ” isn’t just an old phrase. It’s a treasure trove of wise thoughts about how you use—or fail to use—your most precious resource: time.

Are you ready to begin this thrilling journey and uncover more about this timeless wisdom? Let’s start!

Table of Contents

Who said “procrastination is the thief of time”.

Poet Edward Young, author of the saying Procrastination Is the Thief of Time

The well-known adage “Procrastination is the Thief of Time” was originally written in the 18th century by Edward Young , an English poet, in his work “Night-Thoughts”.

Edward Young was an English poet, born in Upham, a small village near Winchester, in 1683. 

Young got his education at Winchester College and then studied law at New College, Oxford. Despite his early training in law, Young found his passion in poetry and devoted his life to literary pursuits.

Young’s best-known work is “Night-Thoughts,” published between 1742 and 1745. The poem, inspired by the successive tragedies in the Author’s life, is a long didactic verse exploring themes of death and immortality. The line “Procrastination is the thief of time” comes from this work and has become a well-known proverb.

Edward Young also had a successful career as a dramatist. He was well-regarded in the royal court and was named royal chaplain in 1730.  

Despite his success, Young’s personal life was marked by tragedy. His wife, stepdaughter and her husband all died within a few years of each other, which had a profound impact on his writing.

Young died in 1765. His works, particularly “Night-Thoughts,” continued to be read and appreciated long after his death, and his reflections on life, death, and even procrastination continue to resonate with readers today.

What Is the Origin of The Proverb “Procrastination Is the Thief of Time”?

This saying first appeared in a long poem called “Night-Thoughts” written by the English poet, Edward Young, in the 1742.

“Night-Thoughts” is a collection of poems that was published in nine parts, or “nights.” The poetry collection was an exploration of life, death, and immortality, created to resemble a trip through the darkness of night. But back then, the saying was a bit longer and more complex.

procrastination is the thief of time essay 400 words

Edward Young wrote :

As sudden, though for years admonished home:

Of human ills the last extreme beware,

Beware, Lorenzo! a slow-sudden death.

How dreadful that deliberate surprise?

Be wise today, ’tis madness to defer;

Next day the fatal precedent will plead;

Thus on, till wisdom is pushed out of life:

Procrastination is the thief of time,

Year after year it steals, till all are fled,

And to the mercies of a moment leaves

The vast concerns of an eternal scene.

This poem serves as a powerful warning against the dangers of procrastination. The speaker, addressing Lorenzo, cautions him against ignoring the impending doom that can come from constantly delaying actions, referring to it as a “slow-sudden death.” This might feel sudden, yet we are warned about it for years.

In his poem, Young uses the line to show how delaying actions can result in wasted time. He warns that each day we put off our tasks and responsibilities, we lose valuable time. This time, once lost, can never be recovered. Over the years, this line from Young’s poem has been picked up and used by many, evolving into the well-known proverb we use today.

“Procrastination Is the Thief of Time” : Notable Quotes

Over time, the quote was shortened and became popularized as “Procrastination is the Thief of Time.” It began to be widely quoted in various forms of literature, speeches, and daily conversations.

From celebrated authors like Charles Dickens, who reflected its essence in his characters, to modern-day motivational speakers and educators, this saying continues to resonate.

Let’s explore how this famous quote has been utilized by some noteworthy figures.

Charles Dickens

“My advice is, never do tomorrow what you can to-day. procrastination is the thief of time. Collar him.”

— Charles Dickens , in his 1850 novel “David Copperfield” 

“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late.

Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked, and dejected with a lost opportunity. The ‘tide in the affairs of men’ does not remain at the flood; it ebbs.

We may cry out desperately for time to pause in her passage, but time is deaf to every plea and rushes on.

Over the bleached bones and jumbled residue of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words: ‘Too late.’ There is an invisible book of life that faithfully records our vigilance or our neglect.”

— Martin Luther King , in “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” (a 1967 speech at Riverside Church in New York City)

Martin Luther King

“Procrastination, the thief of time, is one of the devil’s most potent weapons for defrauding us of eternal heritage.

—  J. Oswald Sanders , in his book “Spiritual Leadership: A Commitment to Excellence for Every Believer”

The greatest thief this world has ever produced is procrastination, and he is still at large.

— Josh Billings (the pen name American humorist of Henry Wheeler Shaw) 

Josh Billings

“The assumption of time is one of humanity’s greatest follies. We tell ourselves that there’s always tomorrow, when we can no more predict tomorrow than we can the weather. Procrastination is the thief of dreams .”

 —  Richard Paul Evans , In his book “The Walk”

 “Take Action on Your Plan Immediately. Take the first step—and then the second step and the third step. Get going. Get busy. Move quickly. Don’t delay. Remember: Procrastination is not only the thief of time; it is the thief of life .”

—  Brian Tracy , In his book “No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline”

brian tracy

“Procrastination, Tom.’ ‘Yes – I know. It’s the thief of time.”

—  Rachel Abbott , In his book “Stranger Child”

Although the saying has changed a bit over time, but its basic message is the same. It’s a warning to you that when you put things off, you’re just basically stealing time from yourself.  

Why Procrastination Is the Thief of Time

time management techniques for procrastination

The proverb communicates the idea that when you delay or postpone actions unnecessarily, you waste time that you could otherwise use productively. It is a reminder that time, once passed, cannot be regained.

When you procrastinate, you’re essentially allowing time to slip away, much like a thief stealing something precious. Instead of using that time effectively to complete tasks or pursue goals, you lose it to indecision, distraction , or laziness. Over time, these small moments can add up, and you may find that procrastination has stolen more time than you realized.

In a broader sense, it can also suggest that chronic procrastination could lead to missed opportunities, as time spent in hesitation or postponement could have been used to learn, grow, or accomplish something valuable.

Moreover, chronic procrastination can lead to stress , poor performance, and reduced well-being, which further emphasizes how procrastination can “rob” you of your potential, peace of mind, and satisfaction. 

“Procrastination Is the Thief of Time” can be viewed as a warning about the potential negative impact of procrastination on your life and achievements. The saying encourages you to be mindful of your time, to be decisive, and to act, when necessary, rather than delay.

Procrastination Is the Thief of Time : Examples

let’s go through a few relatable examples that illustrate how Procrastination is indeed the thief of time.

procrastination is the thief of time essay 400 words

The time you spent procrastinating is lost, and you can’t get it back to do a better job on the project.

procrastination is the thief of time essay 400 words

Procrastination has cost you time and potentially, a career opportunity.

procrastination is the thief of time essay 400 words

However, with each year you put it off, you miss out on potential earnings from interest and end up with lesser savings for your retirement. In this way, procrastination is robbing you of your future financial stability.

procrastination is the thief of time essay 400 words

These examples demonstrate how procrastination can rob you of valuable time that could be used more productively. In each scenario, the procrastination didn’t just waste time—it also cost opportunities, progress, and potential benefits. Moreover, Procrastination leads to negative consequences that might impact your health, career, and financial stability.

“Procrastination is the Thief of Time” is a famous proverb that warns about the consequences of delaying or postponing actions unnecessarily. It conveys the idea that time, once wasted, cannot be recovered and emphasizes the importance of recognizing the value of time and the need to use it wisely.

This saying originated in the 18th century from the works of Edward Young, an English poet, who wrote this memorable phrase in his collection of poems called “Night-Thoughts.”

This timeless saying has resonated with many notable figures throughout history, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Charles Dickens, who have quoted and embraced its wisdom. The widespread use of this proverb by influential individuals further emphasizes its significance.

Get exclusive content and top-tier strategies – only for our subscribers. 

three people on a rocket for subscription to newsletter

Be part of a movement!

author of proactivity lab Sam David

My name is Sam David. I am the founder of "Proactivity Lab," a website that provides comprehensive strategies and resources for understanding and overcoming procrastination. The website's resources are the culmination of more than 20 years of research and experience, during which I embarked on a long and gruelling journey of study and self-discovery. Being a former procrastinator myself, it took me years of investigation and numerous trials and errors to gain a clear understanding of the underlying causes of procrastination and the most effective and scientifically supported strategies to permanently conquer the vicious cycle of procrastination.  I would like to share my knowledge with you, for free.

procrastination is the thief of time essay 400 words

Adult ADHD Quality of Life Questionnaire-AAQol

A student who is in fear of failure and is procrastinating with a pile of unfinished homework

Overcoming Fear of Failure and Procrastination: A Science-Backed Plan

a quiz testing fear of failure taken by a frightened student dreading to make a school presentation

Fear Of Failure Test: Take this Scientifically Backed Quiz

Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory (PFAI)

A student who is in fear of failure and is procrastinating with a pile of unfinished homework

The Psychology of Fear and Procrastination: A Scientific Exploration with an Insightful Quiz

quiz time depicting two siblings, one is a procrastinator and the other is lazy person

Laziness Vs Procrastination Self-Assessment Quiz

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

procrastination is the thief of time essay 400 words

  • Share on twitter
  • Share on facebook

The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination

A team of thinkers roll up their sleeves and tackle the things we've left undone. les gofton looks on.

  • Share on linkedin
  • Share on mail

What were the odds, I pondered, as I sat down to peruse a set of papers by a gathering of philosophers, economists, psychologists and the odd renegade sociologist and public planner - on the topic of procrastination, for goodness' sake - that I would suddenly find myself faced with the vision of Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander rummaging through the nation's bottom drawer? In Bill Hicks' phrase, "Who'da thunk it?"

Yet of course this topic (procrastination, the irrational avoidance of action in pursuit of future welfare benefits) has risen, like the scraps on a sinkful of dinner plates, to the surface of the British, and also the world's, political agenda over the past five years. And poor Danny suddenly finds himself bobbing around in the British section of this detritus through little fault of his own.

The topic, and indeed the title of this book, seems unlikely to threaten J.K. Rowling and Jordan at the top of the best-seller lists. Yet it is in some ways a response to a movement, and related books, that have made inroads there; the works growing out of the behavioural economics pioneered by Nobel laureate Gary Becker - books such as Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein's Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth and Happiness , Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner's Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything and its sequel Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance , and peripherally the ruminations of Malcolm Gladwell on the connections between behaviour, choices and outcomes. This book uncovers in a most effective way the debates in philosophy, economics, politics and the other social sciences that lie behind these attempts to bridge the gap between the discourses of the academy and hoi polloi.

Like all other gnomic philosophical slogans, "Procrastination is the thief of time" from Edward Young's 18th-century poem Night-Thoughts isn't quite all he has to say on this issue; a few lines later, he advises "Be wise today; 'tis madness to defer". The real issue, of course, is how to be wise. It is this that occupies many of the contributors to this volume.

It is not an easy read, but it is worth it. The basic issue is: why do we irrationally refuse to make decisions essential to our long-term welfare? This promptly draws from the undergrowth specialists brandishing theses on rationality, ethics, the psychology of decision-making and much else. The definition of procrastination is itself such a conjunction of controversial and complex ideas as to give Wittgenstein's ghost a small nightmare.

Inevitably there is, in some cases, the sense that the language of the specialists is leading us into areas unlikely to be rendered accessible even to the average graduate on the Clapham omnibus. But it does open up fascinating possibilities for better understanding our situation, and recognising a few extra dangers that we may be able to deal with more easily than the environment and the economy tout court.

The contributors range across a broad set of issues with good accounts of the specialised debates within their specialist areas. Philosophers and economists of various stamp predominate, although there are also contributions from psychology, sociology and legal specialists.

Is procrastination irrational? The classic issues here would include self-harm satisfactions such as cigarettes and alcohol. The authors of Nudge and some politicians concerned with our economy would extend this to include saving for retirement, alongside a whole raft of measures to remove the burden of care and management from the state to the individual.

George Ainslie's opening paper offers a lucid, accessible introduction to the relevance of the concept. This "basic impulse" to defer necessary action, he argues, is the warp in the way we see the future. Key writing by the volume's co-editor Chrisoula Andreou and others argues that the procrastination that often results from this is necessarily irrational: for some a weakness of will and a particular kind of rational failing, for others a vice - as Sergio Tenenbaum argues, "a specific failure of instrumental rationality".

In a key contribution, Duncan MacIntosh confronts the issue of the rationality, and also the ethical status, of procrastination. The intransitivity of preferences and their vagueness, as the ground for characterising procrastination as irrational vice, are effectively dispatched.

Although much of this is a debate among specialists, it is clear that philosophers, economists and other social scientists are, as one contributor says, in a symbiotic relationship, sparking and informing cross-disciplinary debates and research. In a world badly in need of directions for the future, clarity and sharp analysis can only be of benefit. These are issues for the citizen, and not just the specialist.

As these debates illustrate, hyperbolic discounting may well be a universal tendency, and a severe impediment to necessary actions towards the future welfare of society. But it is neither irrational nor vice; the case for what actions need to be taken, when and how, will always revolve around the moral framework and values that a society accepts as its own, as "natural". As our present politics illustrates, if we are unable to choose or find an acceptable solution, or agree what these are, we may find ourselves with an outcome that no one wanted.

Edited by Chrisoula Andreou and Mark D. White

Oxford University Press 314pp, £40.00

ISBN 9780195376685

Published 29 April 2010

Register to continue

Why register?

  • Registration is free and only takes a moment
  • Once registered, you can read 3 articles a month
  • Sign up for our newsletter

Or subscribe for unlimited access to:

  • Unlimited access to news, views, insights & reviews
  • Digital editions
  • Digital access to THE’s university and college rankings analysis

Already registered or a current subscriber? Login

The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination

Placeholder book cover

Chrisoula Andreou and Mark D. White (eds), The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination , Oxford University Press, 2010, 300pp., $65.00 (hbk), ISBN 9780195376685.

Reviewed by Nomy Arpaly, Brown University

Procrastination is a type of irrational behavior -- or so it seems to most -- that has been somewhat neglected in the philosophical literature. While weakness of will has been discussed a lot, and it seems intuitively likely that procrastination is related to weakness of will or akrasia , weakness of will is more often connected in the philosopher's mind with excessive consumption of chocolate than with checking one's email or playing solitaire for the sole purpose of avoiding work. At least so it seems from the literature: in the real life of many academics the procrastination of work presents a genuine and ubiquitous challenge. This is though, as pointed out by Ogden Nash in his poem "Sins of Omission," some kinds of procrastination -- the example of playing solitaire comes to mind -- do not even provide you with the pleasure that chocolate does. No one, the poet reminds us, ever says, "Whee! Let's all fail to write just one more letter before we go home, and this round of unwritten letters is on me."

This book addresses the dearth of philosophical treatments of procrastination. It consists of fifteen articles, some by philosophers and some by psychologists, economists, and others. There are three parts to the book: one concerned with analyzing procrastination and finding out its sources, one that explores the connection between procrastination and imprudence and vice, and one which deals with ways in which procrastination can be overcome. Since the book's subtitle is "Philosophical Essays on Procrastination," a warning might be in order: strictly speaking, some of the essays are not philosophical, and some appear to sit on the borderline between moral psychology and just plain psychology or economics. Some articles even dabble in (scientifically savvy) self-help.

The first part of the book consists mostly of borderline articles. It opens with an article by George Ainslie which I would not call philosophical: it is more of a scientific article readable by philosophers. However, starting with this article may still have been a good idea. If we are to philosophize about procrastination it is best that we are introduced, for example, to the concept of hyperbolic discounting of utilities. Notoriously, we often act as if we prefer smaller short term rewards to larger long term rewards, and when we do so it is said that we hyperbolically discount future goods. Ainslie says that procrastination is the most "basic impulse:" all impulsive behavior involves hyperbolic discounting, but it also involves other things, like addictive substances and other sorts of concrete temptation. Procrastination simply is hyperbolic discounting in action, with no need for another motive (such as excessive pleasure or thrill-seeking) to explain our irrationality.

Hyperbolic discounting will be discussed philosophically through the book along with procrastination as the result of intransitive preferences (at any given occasion, you prefer never smoking to always smoking, but you prefer smoking one last time to never smoking, and so pair-wise choices will lead you to what you prefer the least). Some believe that having such preferences is the source of the irrationality of procrastination, but Duncan MacIntosh (in an article that is clearly within the borders of philosophy) argues that it is not and that procrastination and its irrationality need a different sort of explanation, more akin to philosophical theories of weakness of will. Also present in the first part of the book are an inquiry into the sources of both procrastination and premature action ("bad timing") by Jon Elster, who finds several sources and highlights, among other things, perfectionism as a source of procrastination, as well as an economic-style treatment of procrastination by Don Ross, who seeks to remedy some of the "embarrassment" from which economics has suffered lately due to such books as Predictably Irrational .

Sarah Stroud's essay stands out for the absence of equations and diagrams, and also for its unusual thesis. She asks whether procrastination is weakness of will and comes to the surprising conclusion that it is not. Weakness of will, conceived in Aristotelian terms as acting against one's best judgment or akrasia , is something that happens at a moment whereas procrastination is essentially a thing that happens over time. Weakness of will conceived in newer terms made popular by Richard Holton -- as a failure to stick to a resolution -- requires the formation of an intention or decision, whereas procrastination -- this is where Stroud's paper gets most controversial -- consists partially of either not having formed an intention at all or having formed an intention that is too vague and unspecific. If you "always meant" to go to a doctor "at some point" but never did you have never formed an intention at all, or you only formed a very weak intention, an "anemic" one as Stroud says. This seems to fit some cases of procrastination very well, and fit the empirical literature, mentioned later, that suggests that detailed planning reduces procrastination. I suspect, however, that Stroud's conclusion might conflict with intuitions about cases in which one appears to have made a very specific plan and still procrastinated -- last ditch procrastination, as it were.

The second part of the book is made entirely of philosophical pieces. Olav Gjelsvik discusses procrastination's relation to rationality: he considers various definitions of procrastination and shows that it is quite hard to define -- one too easily includes in one's definition instances in which postponing something is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. He maintains that in procrastination you necessarily do things later in time than you should , and attempts to figure out where that "should" comes from. Through a very complex argument he comes up with a conclusion in favor of external reasons. Christine Tappolet, in an article about procrastination and personal identity, provocatively challenges the idea, dear to some theorists of personal identity, that we have a special concern for our future selves. She basically asks a question that a Martian might ask about us: if we have that much special concern for our future selves, how is it that we treat them so badly? The very fact that a person repeatedly procrastinates quitting cigarettes despite her conviction that they are dangerous to her future self is a reason to believe that she does not have a special concern for that future self. Had we repeatedly treated someone else that badly we would not have been able to say that we particularly care about them. I suspect Tappolet assumes too much rationality on our part: irrational as we are, we are perfectly capable of being greatly attached to our future selves and being reckless with them. But exactly how this is possible -- the question that Tappolet's paper brings into focus -- is as hard a question about human nature as they come.

Three authors discuss procrastination in the context of virtue and vice, none suggesting that it is particularly a moral vice (though even so, I remain a bit bothered by Elijah Millgram following Bernard Williams in suggesting that addiction makes you less than virtuous). Jennifer Baker tells us that there is a lot of discussion over the internet as to whether procrastination is a sin. She thinks the question is more difficult than it seems and presents different virtue-ethics inspired views that underscore this complexity. Research, she says, will not by itself answer the question. Sergio Tenenbaum offers an analysis of a vice of procrastination as a failure in implementing extended plans. Very roughly, if I have a plan to write a book, my extended plan of action has to include both times allocated to actual writing and time allocated to such things as having lunch or playing with my cat, and there has to be some flexibility in how the plan is applied. There is an art -- or rather a virtue -- in holding to the Aristotelian mean between, on the one hand, the inflexible person who misses a friend's wedding because he "has to work" and, on the other, the all-too-flexible procrastinator.

Millgram's paper goes beyond the topic of procrastination to the subject of the good life. He introduces us to the idea of "Jam-Yesterday-Jam-Tomorrow" goods. The term alludes to the job the White Queen offers Alice, which carries the perk of jam yesterday and jam tomorrow but never jam today. The goods in questions are goods that happen over time but appear better somehow then the sum of the moments of which they are composed. For example, a happy marriage can be a wonderful thing but it is mostly made up of prosaic moments that are not particularly happy in themselves. The married couple, in every given moment, is likely to be found grocery shopping or cleaning the bathroom or trying to get children out of bed and only see their happiness in their "peripheral vision." Similarly, a philosopher who loves his job is likely to be found grading or writing letters of recommendation or waiting at an airport or hunting desperately for an idea -- not things he particularly likes. The fact that some of the most important human activities have this structure, where tangible good is always in the past or the future, promotes laziness in the pursuit of those activities, for one can have trouble avoiding procrastination of work whose value is in being part of such activities. Of course, a fully virtuous person would not be lazy. Millgram has complicated conclusions to draw here about "fallback virtue" -- virtue, as it were, for the rest of us -- and about instrumental rationality.

The third part of the book is devoted to ways to overcome procrastination. There is no cure yet, but some treatments are proven to be of help to some. It is tempting to relate some of the advice given in this part of the book, advice backed up by empirical research, and I'll mention just a few tips: you must have specific plans as to when, where, and how you will perform a specific task. It is best if you form what is called an "implementation intention" -- a plan that has an if-then structure, such as "if I turn on the computer, I'll first work on my essay for 20 minutes." You must use "scaffolding" for your will, that is, manipulate the environment in such a way as to make your desired behavior more likely: if you want to be hard-working, for example, try to be around hard-working people. If you tend to check your email too much, make it hard for yourself to connect to the internet (advice is given about specific scaffolding techniques). If you have more self-control in some domains than others, says Chrisoula Andreou, you can "leverage" control -- reward or punish yourself into changing your behavior. There is more (I am talking here about papers by Joseph Heath and Joel Anderson, Frank Wieber and Peter Gollwitzer, as well as Andreou). I fully intend to try some of the methods suggested (when I get around to them). It can become hard to find the philosophy in these science-oriented articles, though again I sympathize with the authors' and editors' desire to make philosophical discussion of the topic more empirically informed. In a different vein, Manuel Ustet, and to some extent Heath and Anderson, asks questions about the legitimacy of allowing public policy and law to aim at reducing procrastination.

One advice-laced article -- by Mark White -- appears to be both more philosophical than others and completely at odds with their conclusions. White posits a view of the mind according to which we have a special faculty of willing but does not -- understandably, given available space -- defend it. He tells us that it is bad to use self-manipulation through one's environment because that might weaken our will through lack of use. Is it because we need our will to fall back on when scaffolding is not available, or is it somehow unseemly or less than moral not to develop our wills -- an abdication of our autonomy ? Definitely the former, but sometimes the latter also appears to be implied. What, then, should we do? White's initial advice is that the agent should "try harder." Later, however, he appeals to current studies showing that the will, like a muscle, can be strengthened by training, and advises us to train our wills. It is unclear that autonomous Kantian wills are the sort of things that can weaken from lack of use or grow in the manner of muscles, for are they not things that all rational agents have to the same degree no matter what? White also appears to overlook the fact that training the will like a muscle is a somewhat different thing to do from "trying harder." One does not develop the ability to lift a large rock simply by trying harder to do it but through a process that involves such things as starting with smaller rocks, alternating between exertion and rest, getting enough food of the right sort, and so on. In other words, training the will as if it were a muscle would involve some self-manipulation through the environment.

All in all, this collection is good reading for anyone who would like to do philosophy on the subject of procrastination or who seeks to procrastinate her work by reading interesting things.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

423 Words Essay on Procrastination is the Thief of Time

It highlights the significance of time . Procrastination means intentionally delaying a thing/ duty. Resorting to such dilatory tactics can be compared to thieving time duration. This proverb ‘Procrastination is the thief of time’ was told by Edward Young. When a man who can complete a work in an hour, purposely delays and takes more time means, his intention is obvious.

He not only wastes his time, but other’s time also. If he is working in a system, then die wastage is more like current charges. About die importance of time a lot have been told by many. Any thing spent can be earned and the loss made up. But when an hour or a day passes, it would not come back.

Stressing this vital aspect, Holmes had said, “Pick my left pocket of its silver dime. But spare die right, for it holds my golden time!” According to Holmes, he was ready to sacrifice his silver, but not time. He rated time on par with the gold. Valiant of this proverb, ‘Time and tide wait for no man!’

chadscottmusic.com

A student who wastes a lot of time and reads his lessons just a day before die examination cannot fare well. Instead, if he reads the lesson taught on die same day means, he can simply revise die portion before the exam. This way he would never get confused.

Be it a student or an employed or a business baron, one has to plan one’s own work for die day and for die next day as well. Children must prepare a time table for studies; say in between 6 and 9 pm and /or 7 to 8 am.

The working class can jot down the day’s work to be done in an engagement day and plan in such a way that at every stage his work would be completed and he gets the pleasure of achieving many things on time frame.

If the nature of work of a person involves touring/ extensive travelling, he should chalk out a plan well in advance, prioritizing the work so that he can cut down travelling extra distance and spending more time. And he only can work out a strategy regarding this.

Henceforth, avoid postponing die work. Plan and execute it on time-bound limit. Keep at it for a few days though it might seem to be boring or tedious. Once you get used to it, upon completion of every job, you will feel the exhilaration. Be a master of time, or otherwise the time will quietly kill you.

Related Essays:

  • Short Essay on Bank Fraud
  • Short Essay on Karunanidhi
  • Essay on Fast Track Courts in India (807 Words)
  • Very Short Essay on White Collar Crime in India (434 Words)

Essay on Procrastination

Privacy Overview

CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Welcome, Login to your account.

Prove your humanity

Recover your password.

A password will be e-mailed to you.

IMP WORLD

‘Procrastination is the thief of time’ – meaning and explanation

procrastination is the thief of time essay 400 words

What it means?

The proverb ‘procrastination is the thief of time’ means that:

  • A person who procrastinates or delays in doing things at the right moment ultimately finds himself in a situation when he had very little time to complete the task.
  • A person who fails to discharge his duties on time fails to achieve success in life.

The secret of success in life lies in being punctual. A person has limited time to achieve success, and he has to do many things within the short span of life.

Explanation

We cannot afford to waste time by being caught in the habit of procrastination. Time is money, for when it is spent in doing useful work; we get money in return for our work. We must do our duties at the right hours. ‘Strike while the iron is hot’, goes the well-known saying. Time once lost is lost forever.

procrastination is the thief of time essay 400 words

We should disallow the formation of habit of procrastination even from our very infancy. A boy of mediocre merit excels others in his studies by making a proper use of his time. He makes better progress in his studies and generally scores higher marks than others. On the contrary, many meritorious students make a mess of their careers by wasting their time and opportunities.

  • An officer who procrastinate his duties at office cannot command the respect of his subordinates.
  • The commander-in-chief of an army, however strong, cannot expect to win victory if he does not turn up punctually in the battlefield.
  • A passenger cannot catch a train if he does not go to the station in time.
  • An unpunctual businessperson caught in the habit of procrastination cannot thrive in business as his customers form a very poor opinion of him.
  • These show that the habit of procrastination is a great obstacle for success in life.

Conclusion: Things not done in time are rarely done right. If a person caught in the habit of procrastination allows an opportunity to slip, he may not get another chance of doing the task. Hence, it is true that ‘procrastination is the thief of time’

What is the Meaning of Unity? Why is it Important?

Discipline: Its Meaning and Importance

Live and let live – Meaning and Expansion

Who came up with the quote, “Home is where the heart is”?

Where there is a will there is a way Essay

An Idle Brain is the Devil’s Workshop – Expansion of the Idea

‘Nothing succeeds like success’ – Proverb

Short Paragraph on ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword Essay

Arguments for and against: Do birds of a feather flock together?

Short Paragraph on ‘Life is Precious’

‘Keep calm and work hard’ – Origin and Meaning

You must be logged in to post a comment.

procrastination is the thief of time essay 400 words

  • Subscriber Services
  • For Authors
  • Publications
  • Archaeology
  • Art & Architecture
  • Bilingual dictionaries
  • Classical studies
  • Encyclopedias
  • English Dictionaries and Thesauri
  • Language reference
  • Linguistics
  • Media studies
  • Medicine and health
  • Names studies
  • Performing arts
  • Science and technology
  • Social sciences
  • Society and culture
  • Overview Pages
  • Subject Reference
  • English Dictionaries
  • Bilingual Dictionaries

Recently viewed (0)

  • Save Search

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable$

  • Find at OUP.com
  • Google Preview
  • Share This Facebook LinkedIn Twitter

More on this Topic

  • View overview page for this topic

Other Online Resources

  • ProQuest Literature Online
  • Publishing Information
  • General Links for this Work
  • Introduction

procrastination is the thief of time  

proverbial saying, mid 18th century, meaning that someone who continually puts things off ultimately achieves little. The saying comes from ... ...

Access to the complete content on Oxford Reference requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter without a subscription.

Please subscribe or login to access full text content.

If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.

For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs , and if you can''t find the answer there, please contact us .

  • Oxford University Press

PRINTED FROM OXFORD REFERENCE (www.oxfordreference.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2023. All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single entry from a reference work in OR for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice ).

date: 19 July 2024

  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal Notice
  • Accessibility
  • [185.147.128.134]
  • 185.147.128.134

Character limit 500 /500

  • Search Menu

Sign in through your institution

  • Browse content in Arts and Humanities
  • Browse content in Archaeology
  • Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Archaeology
  • Archaeological Methodology and Techniques
  • Archaeology by Region
  • Archaeology of Religion
  • Archaeology of Trade and Exchange
  • Biblical Archaeology
  • Contemporary and Public Archaeology
  • Environmental Archaeology
  • Historical Archaeology
  • History and Theory of Archaeology
  • Industrial Archaeology
  • Landscape Archaeology
  • Mortuary Archaeology
  • Prehistoric Archaeology
  • Underwater Archaeology
  • Zooarchaeology
  • Browse content in Architecture
  • Architectural Structure and Design
  • History of Architecture
  • Residential and Domestic Buildings
  • Theory of Architecture
  • Browse content in Art
  • Art Subjects and Themes
  • History of Art
  • Industrial and Commercial Art
  • Theory of Art
  • Biographical Studies
  • Byzantine Studies
  • Browse content in Classical Studies
  • Classical History
  • Classical Philosophy
  • Classical Mythology
  • Classical Numismatics
  • Classical Literature
  • Classical Reception
  • Classical Art and Architecture
  • Classical Oratory and Rhetoric
  • Greek and Roman Epigraphy
  • Greek and Roman Law
  • Greek and Roman Archaeology
  • Greek and Roman Papyrology
  • Late Antiquity
  • Religion in the Ancient World
  • Social History
  • Digital Humanities
  • Browse content in History
  • Colonialism and Imperialism
  • Diplomatic History
  • Environmental History
  • Genealogy, Heraldry, Names, and Honours
  • Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing
  • Historical Geography
  • History by Period
  • History of Agriculture
  • History of Education
  • History of Emotions
  • History of Gender and Sexuality
  • Industrial History
  • Intellectual History
  • International History
  • Labour History
  • Legal and Constitutional History
  • Local and Family History
  • Maritime History
  • Military History
  • National Liberation and Post-Colonialism
  • Oral History
  • Political History
  • Public History
  • Regional and National History
  • Revolutions and Rebellions
  • Slavery and Abolition of Slavery
  • Social and Cultural History
  • Theory, Methods, and Historiography
  • Urban History
  • World History
  • Browse content in Language Teaching and Learning
  • Language Learning (Specific Skills)
  • Language Teaching Theory and Methods
  • Browse content in Linguistics
  • Applied Linguistics
  • Cognitive Linguistics
  • Computational Linguistics
  • Forensic Linguistics
  • Grammar, Syntax and Morphology
  • Historical and Diachronic Linguistics
  • History of English
  • Language Acquisition
  • Language Variation
  • Language Families
  • Language Evolution
  • Language Reference
  • Lexicography
  • Linguistic Theories
  • Linguistic Typology
  • Linguistic Anthropology
  • Phonetics and Phonology
  • Psycholinguistics
  • Sociolinguistics
  • Translation and Interpretation
  • Writing Systems
  • Browse content in Literature
  • Bibliography
  • Children's Literature Studies
  • Literary Studies (Asian)
  • Literary Studies (European)
  • Literary Studies (Eco-criticism)
  • Literary Studies (Modernism)
  • Literary Studies (Romanticism)
  • Literary Studies (American)
  • Literary Studies - World
  • Literary Studies (1500 to 1800)
  • Literary Studies (19th Century)
  • Literary Studies (20th Century onwards)
  • Literary Studies (African American Literature)
  • Literary Studies (British and Irish)
  • Literary Studies (Early and Medieval)
  • Literary Studies (Fiction, Novelists, and Prose Writers)
  • Literary Studies (Gender Studies)
  • Literary Studies (Graphic Novels)
  • Literary Studies (History of the Book)
  • Literary Studies (Plays and Playwrights)
  • Literary Studies (Poetry and Poets)
  • Literary Studies (Postcolonial Literature)
  • Literary Studies (Queer Studies)
  • Literary Studies (Science Fiction)
  • Literary Studies (Travel Literature)
  • Literary Studies (War Literature)
  • Literary Studies (Women's Writing)
  • Literary Theory and Cultural Studies
  • Mythology and Folklore
  • Shakespeare Studies and Criticism
  • Browse content in Media Studies
  • Browse content in Music
  • Applied Music
  • Dance and Music
  • Ethics in Music
  • Ethnomusicology
  • Gender and Sexuality in Music
  • Medicine and Music
  • Music Cultures
  • Music and Religion
  • Music and Culture
  • Music and Media
  • Music Education and Pedagogy
  • Music Theory and Analysis
  • Musical Scores, Lyrics, and Libretti
  • Musical Structures, Styles, and Techniques
  • Musicology and Music History
  • Performance Practice and Studies
  • Race and Ethnicity in Music
  • Sound Studies
  • Browse content in Performing Arts
  • Browse content in Philosophy
  • Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art
  • Epistemology
  • Feminist Philosophy
  • History of Western Philosophy
  • Metaphysics
  • Moral Philosophy
  • Non-Western Philosophy
  • Philosophy of Science
  • Philosophy of Action
  • Philosophy of Law
  • Philosophy of Religion
  • Philosophy of Language
  • Philosophy of Mind
  • Philosophy of Perception
  • Philosophy of Mathematics and Logic
  • Practical Ethics
  • Social and Political Philosophy
  • Browse content in Religion
  • Biblical Studies
  • Christianity
  • East Asian Religions
  • History of Religion
  • Judaism and Jewish Studies
  • Qumran Studies
  • Religion and Education
  • Religion and Health
  • Religion and Politics
  • Religion and Science
  • Religion and Law
  • Religion and Art, Literature, and Music
  • Religious Studies
  • Browse content in Society and Culture
  • Cookery, Food, and Drink
  • Cultural Studies
  • Customs and Traditions
  • Ethical Issues and Debates
  • Hobbies, Games, Arts and Crafts
  • Natural world, Country Life, and Pets
  • Popular Beliefs and Controversial Knowledge
  • Sports and Outdoor Recreation
  • Technology and Society
  • Travel and Holiday
  • Visual Culture
  • Browse content in Law
  • Arbitration
  • Browse content in Company and Commercial Law
  • Commercial Law
  • Company Law
  • Browse content in Comparative Law
  • Systems of Law
  • Competition Law
  • Browse content in Constitutional and Administrative Law
  • Government Powers
  • Judicial Review
  • Local Government Law
  • Military and Defence Law
  • Parliamentary and Legislative Practice
  • Construction Law
  • Contract Law
  • Browse content in Criminal Law
  • Criminal Procedure
  • Criminal Evidence Law
  • Sentencing and Punishment
  • Employment and Labour Law
  • Environment and Energy Law
  • Browse content in Financial Law
  • Banking Law
  • Insolvency Law
  • History of Law
  • Human Rights and Immigration
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • Browse content in International Law
  • Private International Law and Conflict of Laws
  • Public International Law
  • IT and Communications Law
  • Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law
  • Law and Politics
  • Law and Society
  • Browse content in Legal System and Practice
  • Courts and Procedure
  • Legal Skills and Practice
  • Primary Sources of Law
  • Regulation of Legal Profession
  • Medical and Healthcare Law
  • Browse content in Policing
  • Criminal Investigation and Detection
  • Police and Security Services
  • Police Procedure and Law
  • Police Regional Planning
  • Browse content in Property Law
  • Personal Property Law
  • Study and Revision
  • Terrorism and National Security Law
  • Browse content in Trusts Law
  • Wills and Probate or Succession
  • Browse content in Medicine and Health
  • Browse content in Allied Health Professions
  • Arts Therapies
  • Clinical Science
  • Dietetics and Nutrition
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Operating Department Practice
  • Physiotherapy
  • Radiography
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Browse content in Anaesthetics
  • General Anaesthesia
  • Neuroanaesthesia
  • Browse content in Clinical Medicine
  • Acute Medicine
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Clinical Genetics
  • Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
  • Dermatology
  • Endocrinology and Diabetes
  • Gastroenterology
  • Genito-urinary Medicine
  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Medical Oncology
  • Medical Toxicology
  • Pain Medicine
  • Palliative Medicine
  • Rehabilitation Medicine
  • Respiratory Medicine and Pulmonology
  • Rheumatology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Sports and Exercise Medicine
  • Clinical Neuroscience
  • Community Medical Services
  • Critical Care
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Forensic Medicine
  • Haematology
  • History of Medicine
  • Browse content in Medical Dentistry
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Paediatric Dentistry
  • Restorative Dentistry and Orthodontics
  • Surgical Dentistry
  • Medical Ethics
  • Browse content in Medical Skills
  • Clinical Skills
  • Communication Skills
  • Nursing Skills
  • Surgical Skills
  • Medical Statistics and Methodology
  • Browse content in Neurology
  • Clinical Neurophysiology
  • Neuropathology
  • Nursing Studies
  • Browse content in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
  • Gynaecology
  • Occupational Medicine
  • Ophthalmology
  • Otolaryngology (ENT)
  • Browse content in Paediatrics
  • Neonatology
  • Browse content in Pathology
  • Chemical Pathology
  • Clinical Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics
  • Histopathology
  • Medical Microbiology and Virology
  • Patient Education and Information
  • Browse content in Pharmacology
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Browse content in Popular Health
  • Caring for Others
  • Complementary and Alternative Medicine
  • Self-help and Personal Development
  • Browse content in Preclinical Medicine
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology and Genetics
  • Reproduction, Growth and Development
  • Primary Care
  • Professional Development in Medicine
  • Browse content in Psychiatry
  • Addiction Medicine
  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Forensic Psychiatry
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Old Age Psychiatry
  • Psychotherapy
  • Browse content in Public Health and Epidemiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health
  • Browse content in Radiology
  • Clinical Radiology
  • Interventional Radiology
  • Nuclear Medicine
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Reproductive Medicine
  • Browse content in Surgery
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • Gastro-intestinal and Colorectal Surgery
  • General Surgery
  • Neurosurgery
  • Paediatric Surgery
  • Peri-operative Care
  • Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
  • Surgical Oncology
  • Transplant Surgery
  • Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Vascular Surgery
  • Browse content in Science and Mathematics
  • Browse content in Biological Sciences
  • Aquatic Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Ecology and Conservation
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics and Genomics
  • Microbiology
  • Molecular and Cell Biology
  • Natural History
  • Plant Sciences and Forestry
  • Research Methods in Life Sciences
  • Structural Biology
  • Systems Biology
  • Zoology and Animal Sciences
  • Browse content in Chemistry
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Computational Chemistry
  • Crystallography
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Industrial Chemistry
  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • Materials Chemistry
  • Medicinal Chemistry
  • Mineralogy and Gems
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Study and Communication Skills in Chemistry
  • Theoretical Chemistry
  • Browse content in Computer Science
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computer Architecture and Logic Design
  • Game Studies
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Mathematical Theory of Computation
  • Programming Languages
  • Software Engineering
  • Systems Analysis and Design
  • Virtual Reality
  • Browse content in Computing
  • Business Applications
  • Computer Security
  • Computer Games
  • Computer Networking and Communications
  • Digital Lifestyle
  • Graphical and Digital Media Applications
  • Operating Systems
  • Browse content in Earth Sciences and Geography
  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Environmental Geography
  • Geology and the Lithosphere
  • Maps and Map-making
  • Meteorology and Climatology
  • Oceanography and Hydrology
  • Palaeontology
  • Physical Geography and Topography
  • Regional Geography
  • Soil Science
  • Urban Geography
  • Browse content in Engineering and Technology
  • Agriculture and Farming
  • Biological Engineering
  • Civil Engineering, Surveying, and Building
  • Electronics and Communications Engineering
  • Energy Technology
  • Engineering (General)
  • Environmental Science, Engineering, and Technology
  • History of Engineering and Technology
  • Mechanical Engineering and Materials
  • Technology of Industrial Chemistry
  • Transport Technology and Trades
  • Browse content in Environmental Science
  • Applied Ecology (Environmental Science)
  • Conservation of the Environment (Environmental Science)
  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Environmental Science)
  • Management of Land and Natural Resources (Environmental Science)
  • Natural Disasters (Environmental Science)
  • Nuclear Issues (Environmental Science)
  • Pollution and Threats to the Environment (Environmental Science)
  • Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Environmental Science)
  • History of Science and Technology
  • Browse content in Materials Science
  • Ceramics and Glasses
  • Composite Materials
  • Metals, Alloying, and Corrosion
  • Nanotechnology
  • Browse content in Mathematics
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Biomathematics and Statistics
  • History of Mathematics
  • Mathematical Education
  • Mathematical Finance
  • Mathematical Analysis
  • Numerical and Computational Mathematics
  • Probability and Statistics
  • Pure Mathematics
  • Browse content in Neuroscience
  • Cognition and Behavioural Neuroscience
  • Development of the Nervous System
  • Disorders of the Nervous System
  • History of Neuroscience
  • Invertebrate Neurobiology
  • Molecular and Cellular Systems
  • Neuroendocrinology and Autonomic Nervous System
  • Neuroscientific Techniques
  • Sensory and Motor Systems
  • Browse content in Physics
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
  • Biological and Medical Physics
  • Classical Mechanics
  • Computational Physics
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Electromagnetism, Optics, and Acoustics
  • History of Physics
  • Mathematical and Statistical Physics
  • Measurement Science
  • Nuclear Physics
  • Particles and Fields
  • Plasma Physics
  • Quantum Physics
  • Relativity and Gravitation
  • Semiconductor and Mesoscopic Physics
  • Browse content in Psychology
  • Affective Sciences
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Criminal and Forensic Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Educational Psychology
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Health Psychology
  • History and Systems in Psychology
  • Music Psychology
  • Neuropsychology
  • Organizational Psychology
  • Psychological Assessment and Testing
  • Psychology of Human-Technology Interaction
  • Psychology Professional Development and Training
  • Research Methods in Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Browse content in Social Sciences
  • Browse content in Anthropology
  • Anthropology of Religion
  • Human Evolution
  • Medical Anthropology
  • Physical Anthropology
  • Regional Anthropology
  • Social and Cultural Anthropology
  • Theory and Practice of Anthropology
  • Browse content in Business and Management
  • Business Strategy
  • Business History
  • Business Ethics
  • Business and Government
  • Business and Technology
  • Business and the Environment
  • Comparative Management
  • Corporate Governance
  • Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Health Management
  • Human Resource Management
  • Industrial and Employment Relations
  • Industry Studies
  • Information and Communication Technologies
  • International Business
  • Knowledge Management
  • Management and Management Techniques
  • Operations Management
  • Organizational Theory and Behaviour
  • Pensions and Pension Management
  • Public and Nonprofit Management
  • Social Issues in Business and Management
  • Strategic Management
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Browse content in Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • Criminal Justice
  • Criminology
  • Forms of Crime
  • International and Comparative Criminology
  • Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice
  • Development Studies
  • Browse content in Economics
  • Agricultural, Environmental, and Natural Resource Economics
  • Asian Economics
  • Behavioural Finance
  • Behavioural Economics and Neuroeconomics
  • Econometrics and Mathematical Economics
  • Economic Systems
  • Economic Methodology
  • Economic History
  • Economic Development and Growth
  • Financial Markets
  • Financial Institutions and Services
  • General Economics and Teaching
  • Health, Education, and Welfare
  • History of Economic Thought
  • International Economics
  • Labour and Demographic Economics
  • Law and Economics
  • Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics
  • Microeconomics
  • Public Economics
  • Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
  • Welfare Economics
  • Browse content in Education
  • Adult Education and Continuous Learning
  • Care and Counselling of Students
  • Early Childhood and Elementary Education
  • Educational Equipment and Technology
  • Educational Strategies and Policy
  • Higher and Further Education
  • Organization and Management of Education
  • Philosophy and Theory of Education
  • Schools Studies
  • Secondary Education
  • Teaching of a Specific Subject
  • Teaching of Specific Groups and Special Educational Needs
  • Teaching Skills and Techniques
  • Browse content in Environment
  • Applied Ecology (Social Science)
  • Climate Change
  • Conservation of the Environment (Social Science)
  • Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Social Science)
  • Management of Land and Natural Resources (Social Science)
  • Natural Disasters (Environment)
  • Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Social Science)
  • Sustainability
  • Browse content in Human Geography
  • Cultural Geography
  • Economic Geography
  • Political Geography
  • Browse content in Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Communication Studies
  • Museums, Libraries, and Information Sciences
  • Browse content in Politics
  • African Politics
  • Asian Politics
  • Chinese Politics
  • Comparative Politics
  • Conflict Politics
  • Elections and Electoral Studies
  • Environmental Politics
  • Ethnic Politics
  • European Union
  • Foreign Policy
  • Gender and Politics
  • Human Rights and Politics
  • Indian Politics
  • International Relations
  • International Organization (Politics)
  • International Political Economy
  • Irish Politics
  • Latin American Politics
  • Middle Eastern Politics
  • Political Methodology
  • Political Communication
  • Political Philosophy
  • Political Sociology
  • Political Theory
  • Political Behaviour
  • Political Economy
  • Political Institutions
  • Politics and Law
  • Politics of Development
  • Public Administration
  • Public Policy
  • Qualitative Political Methodology
  • Quantitative Political Methodology
  • Regional Political Studies
  • Russian Politics
  • Security Studies
  • State and Local Government
  • UK Politics
  • US Politics
  • Browse content in Regional and Area Studies
  • African Studies
  • Asian Studies
  • East Asian Studies
  • Japanese Studies
  • Latin American Studies
  • Middle Eastern Studies
  • Native American Studies
  • Scottish Studies
  • Browse content in Research and Information
  • Research Methods
  • Browse content in Social Work
  • Addictions and Substance Misuse
  • Adoption and Fostering
  • Care of the Elderly
  • Child and Adolescent Social Work
  • Couple and Family Social Work
  • Direct Practice and Clinical Social Work
  • Emergency Services
  • Human Behaviour and the Social Environment
  • International and Global Issues in Social Work
  • Mental and Behavioural Health
  • Social Justice and Human Rights
  • Social Policy and Advocacy
  • Social Work and Crime and Justice
  • Social Work Macro Practice
  • Social Work Practice Settings
  • Social Work Research and Evidence-based Practice
  • Welfare and Benefit Systems
  • Browse content in Sociology
  • Childhood Studies
  • Community Development
  • Comparative and Historical Sociology
  • Economic Sociology
  • Gender and Sexuality
  • Gerontology and Ageing
  • Health, Illness, and Medicine
  • Marriage and the Family
  • Migration Studies
  • Occupations, Professions, and Work
  • Organizations
  • Population and Demography
  • Race and Ethnicity
  • Social Theory
  • Social Movements and Social Change
  • Social Research and Statistics
  • Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
  • Sociology of Religion
  • Sociology of Education
  • Sport and Leisure
  • Urban and Rural Studies
  • Browse content in Warfare and Defence
  • Defence Strategy, Planning, and Research
  • Land Forces and Warfare
  • Military Administration
  • Military Life and Institutions
  • Naval Forces and Warfare
  • Other Warfare and Defence Issues
  • Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
  • Weapons and Equipment

The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination

  • < Previous
  • Next chapter >

Introduction

  • Published: March 2010
  • Cite Icon Cite
  • Permissions Icon Permissions

This introductory chapter considers some promising characterizations of procrastination and raises a variety of complications concerning this philosophically interesting but underexplored phenomenon. Procrastination is discussed in relation to irrationality, self-deception, akrasia, irresoluteness, vague goals, hypocrisy, and fragmented agency. Two quasi-economic models of procrastination, one focused on discounting-induced preference reversals and the other on intransitive preferences, are highlighted. The chapters in the rest of the volume, which is divided into three parts, are introduced: the chapters in the first part are primarily concerned with analyzing procrastination or uncovering its sources; the chapters in the second part explore the connection between procrastination and imprudence or vice; and the chapters in the third part are concerned primarily with strategies for coping with procrastination.

Personal account

  • Sign in with email/username & password
  • Get email alerts
  • Save searches
  • Purchase content
  • Activate your purchase/trial code
  • Add your ORCID iD

Institutional access

Sign in with a library card.

  • Sign in with username/password
  • Recommend to your librarian
  • Institutional account management
  • Get help with access

Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:

IP based access

Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.

Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.

  • Click Sign in through your institution.
  • Select your institution from the list provided, which will take you to your institution's website to sign in.
  • When on the institution site, please use the credentials provided by your institution. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
  • Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.

If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.

Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.

Society Members

Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:

Sign in through society site

Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:

  • Click Sign in through society site.
  • When on the society site, please use the credentials provided by that society. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.

If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.

Sign in using a personal account

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.

A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.

Viewing your signed in accounts

Click the account icon in the top right to:

  • View your signed in personal account and access account management features.
  • View the institutional accounts that are providing access.

Signed in but can't access content

Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.

For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.

Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.

Month: Total Views:
October 2022 3
November 2022 1
December 2022 7
January 2023 9
February 2023 3
March 2023 5
April 2023 5
May 2023 2
June 2023 8
July 2023 17
August 2023 1
September 2023 3
October 2023 2
November 2023 7
December 2023 3
January 2024 2
April 2024 6
May 2024 3
June 2024 5
  • About Oxford Academic
  • Publish journals with us
  • University press partners
  • What we publish
  • New features  
  • Open access
  • Rights and permissions
  • Accessibility
  • Advertising
  • Media enquiries
  • Oxford University Press
  • Oxford Languages
  • University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

  • Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
  • Cookie settings
  • Cookie policy
  • Privacy policy
  • Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination, by Chrisoula Andreou and Mark White

  • Book Review
  • Published: 12 March 2013
  • Volume 39 , pages 263–265, ( 2013 )

Cite this article

procrastination is the thief of time essay 400 words

  • Jonathan B Wight 1  

132 Accesses

Explore all metrics

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save.

  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

University of Richmond,

Jonathan B Wight

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Wight, J. The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination, by Chrisoula Andreou and Mark White. Eastern Econ J 39 , 263–265 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1057/eej.2011.31

Download citation

Published : 12 March 2013

Issue Date : 01 March 2013

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1057/eej.2011.31

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

  • Find a journal
  • Publish with us
  • Track your research

EssayPride essay service

Manage your order and communicate with your writer using the customer center.

With experience gained since 2003, EssayPride successfully completes 98% of all incoming orders. Select options, proceed, and consider your paper done!

Search our huge database of over 200,000 free example essays and research papers nearly on any topic imaginable!

Procrastination is the thief of time example essay topic.

  • Procrastination

Things every student should keep in mind

  • Free example essays found anywhere online are available to anyone, which makes them used, re-used, paraphrased, and abused millions of times.
  • Watch out, some are poorly written!
  • We strongly discourage you to submit free essays or any of their parts for credit at your school -- they are easily detected by PLAGIARISM CHECKERS.
  • Get a brand-new, 100% original paper that will be written especially for you following YOUR EXACT instructions.

100% money back, no questions asked if you paper is plagiarized (this won't happen anyway).

We use a simple but effective principle: one satisfied customer will come back for more, but one who was cheated and misled will tell 10 others too.

Our clients are treated with the highest level of respect that a legitimate student deserves. You, as a customer, will feel this attitude starting from your first contact with our essay service and all the way through.

A significant percentage of cheap essay writing services have also been the source of complaints from students for selling cut and pasted work off the net -- this is a world away from the personalized essay service that EssayPride offers. All our guarantees are always kept -- we are nothing without quality, affordable prices, and the high degree of customer satisfaction!

What our customers say

Piotr S. Toronto, Canada

I am an ESL student and I am only learning how to write good papers in English. Thanks to EssayPride I am mastering this skill much faster. They help me because they always respond any questions and explain me things I do not understand. They also strictly follow the deadlines and I am never late with my assignments. Thank you very much, guys, your hard work is appreciated. I will surely be ordering more.

Lindsay M. Winston Salem, NC

Oh my Gosh! My life has become sooo much easier after I've come across this website. I am a working student, so sometimes I am too overwhelmed with so many things and I really need a hand with my papers. I am glad I have found a company I can trust. I have confidence in these guys, because they proved to be good quite a few times.

Kirk N. Austin, TX

I never leave reviews for products or services because I am quite particular and picky. Surprisingly enough, EssayPride has managed to satisfy all of my requirements, even though I asked for several alterations to the paper they've sent initially. My assignments are quite complicated and it is essential to possess a certain level of knowledge in order to write a decent paper. These guys have managed, so I give them four stars.

Emma Ch. Birmingham, UK

Customer service is very responsive to your queries, they answer any question within an hour. Even if you have a problem with an order, you can contact them and they will fix it promptly. The quality of writing is very good, writer knows what he is talking about. I had a very positive experience using this website, I will be a returning customer.

Travis J. Perth, Australia

I used this website more than once and every time my experience turned out to be extremely positive. I think their price-quality ratio is very good, because I couldn't find anyone writing better than these guys, who would work for this money. Thank you!

Myung O. Seoul, South Korea

I am a Korean student studying in the US. I would like to thank essaypride staff, especially writer Jeff P., for helping me out so much. My grades are good with all your help and I keep calm about the results of my year.

Boyi Zh. St. Louis, MO

As probably any student, I was quite hesitant about asking somebody else to do my assignments at first. However, after EssayPride has sent me my first paper and I've read it, I understood that I could actually learn a lot from them. The research they've done was impressive and I understood the topic even better than after going to class and reading my textbook. I am not using this website to "cheat", I am using it as a tutoring service, they help me to understand the material better.

Samples of professionally written essays produced by our company. Feel the difference!

  • Marketing Strategies
  • Memoirs of the Four Wars
  • The Use of Internet Filters
  • Female Figures
  • Advertising Plans

Free example essays, top 50

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

procrastination is the thief of time essay 400 words

© 2003-2024 EssayPride.com

Our website uses cookies. By continuing, you agree to their use. Learn more , including how to control cookies.

COMMENTS

  1. The Meaning and Origin of 'Procrastination is the Thief of Time'

    We have to go back to the eighteenth century, a whole century before Dickens, to find the origins of 'procrastination is the thief of time', in the poem Night-Thoughts by Edward Young (1683-1765). The poem was published in 1742. A hugely popular poem in its day, The Complaint: or, Night-Thoughts on Life, Death, & Immortality (to give it its ...

  2. Procrastination Is the Thief of Time

    Procrastination Is the Thief of Time. "Procrastination is the thief of time" is a saying that denotes that procrastinating —postponing things unnecessarily—causes people to waste a lot of their time. This saying is meant to encourage people to take action in a timely manner, instead of delaying. This is one of the most famous sayings ...

  3. Procrastination is the Thief of Time: Essay, Meaning, Expansion

    January 6, 2021 by Sandeep. Essay on Procrastination is the Thief of Time: Acting lazy and procrastinating leads to delay in getting things done. Procrastination breeds delays and causes mishaps. Procrastination has a detrimental effect on time and makes the job boring, unending and complicated. People tend to miss deadlines and deliver poor ...

  4. Procrastination is the thief of time

    The 'procrastination is the thief of time' line appears towards the beginning of the work: Thus on, till wisdom is push'd out of life. The vast concerns of an eternal scene. A similar thought, published in a work that would have been known to Young is found in Robert Greene's Gwydonius , 1584: You shall finde that delaie breedes daunger ...

  5. "Procrastination Is The Thief Of Time": Exploring The Timeless Proverb

    The well-known adage "Procrastination is the Thief of Time" was originally written in the 18th century by Edward Young, an English poet, in his work "Night-Thoughts". Edward Young was an English poet, born in Upham, a small village near Winchester, in 1683. Young got his education at Winchester College and then studied law at New ...

  6. The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination

    This volume starts in on the task of integrating the problem of procrastination into philosophical inquiry. The focus is on exploring procrastination in relation to agency, rationality, and ethics—topics that philosophy is well suited to address. Theoretically and empirically informed analyses are developed and applied with the aim of ...

  7. Procrastination as Vice

    One study suggests that most damage done by chronic procrastination comes only in midcareer, by which time procrastinators have developed a dispirited detachment to their chosen professions. 3 The impulsivity, mindlessness, and pessimism psychologists find associated with regular procrastinators suggest a relationship between more established ...

  8. The Vice of Procrastination

    Abstract. The aim of this chapter is to give a more precise characterization of the type of irrationality that is involved in procrastination. The chapter argues that in order to understand the irrationality of procrastination, one needs to make room in one's theory of practical reason for the possibility of "top-down independent" policies and long-term actions.

  9. The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination

    This book uncovers in a most effective way the debates in philosophy, economics, politics and the other social sciences that lie behind these attempts to bridge the gap between the discourses of the academy and hoi polloi. Like all other gnomic philosophical slogans, "Procrastination is the thief of time" from Edward Young's 18th-century poem ...

  10. The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination

    7. Procrastination and Personal Identity, Christine Tappolet (Universite de Montreal) 8. Procrastination, Vagueness and the Policy as Action Model, Sergio Tenenbaum (University of Toronto) 9. Virtue for Procrastinators, Elijah Millgram (University of Utah) 10. Procrastination as Vice, Jennifer A. Baker (College of Charleston) Part III 11.

  11. The Thief of Time : Philosophical Essays on Procrastination

    Books. The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination. Chrisoula Andreou, Mark D. White. Oxford University Press, Apr 14, 2010 - Philosophy - 320 pages. When we fail to achieve our goals, procrastination is often the culprit. But how exactly is procrastination to be understood?

  12. The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination

    Chrisoula Andreou and Mark D. White (eds), The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination, Oxford University Press, 2010, 300pp., $65.00 (hbk), ISBN 9780195376685. ... Since the book's subtitle is "Philosophical Essays on Procrastination," a warning might be in order: strictly speaking, some of the essays are not philosophical, and ...

  13. 423 Words Essay on Procrastination is the Thief of Time

    This proverb 'Procrastination is the thief of time' was told by Edward Young. When a man who can complete a work in an hour, purposely delays and takes more time means, his intention is obvious. He not only wastes his time, but other's time also. If he is working in a system, then die wastage is more like current charges.

  14. Procrastination is the thief of time

    Proverbial saying, mid 18th century, meaning that someone who continually puts things off ultimately achieves little. The saying comes from Night Thoughts (1742-5) by the English poet and dramatist Edward Young (1683-1765). From: procrastination is the thief of time in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ».

  15. Procrastination and the Extended Will

    This chapter develops an externalist understanding of procrastination and, in particular, of how our distributed will and its supportive social scaffolding enable us to keep procrastination in check (to the extent that we are able to). Thinking about procrastination in this way has several attractive implications.

  16. "Procrastination Is The Thief Of Time"

    He also wished to write a doctrine omitted, to Young's disappointment, from Pope's An Essay on Man, the doctrine of belief in a future existence. ... Procrastination is the thief of time; Year ...

  17. 'Procrastination is the thief of time'

    These show that the habit of procrastination is a great obstacle for success in life. Conclusion: Things not done in time are rarely done right. If a person caught in the habit of procrastination allows an opportunity to slip, he may not get another chance of doing the task. Hence, it is true that 'procrastination is the thief of time'

  18. Procrastination is the thief of time

    procrastination is the thief of time Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable Author(s): Elizabeth KnowlesElizabeth Knowles. proverbial saying, mid 18th century, meaning that someone who continually puts things off ultimately achieves little.

  19. Speech: Procrastination Is The Thief Of Time

    949 Words. 4 Pages. Open Document. "Procrastination is the thief of time.". - Charles Dickens. A glorious morning to the honourable judges, dutiful timekeepers, teachers and my fellow competitors. From my quote you would've easily guessed that today I am going to talk on procrastination. Yes, ladies and gentlemen,

  20. Introduction

    This introductory chapter considers some promising characterizations of procrastination and raises a variety of complications concerning this philosophically interesting but underexplored phenomenon. Procrastination is discussed in relation to irrationality, self-deception, akrasia, irresoluteness, vague goals, hypocrisy, and fragmented agency.

  21. The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination, by

    Behavioral economics has several research agendas. One concerns why humans consistently procrastinate. The Thief of Time is a collection of essays, many of which were prepared for a 2008 workshop in New York organized by Chrisoula Andreou and Mark White. The chapters suggest that the problem of delaying effort is widespread and economically significant.

  22. Procrastination Is The Thief Of Time essay topics

    "A stitch in time saves nine". This proverb embodies a truth which few will feel disposed to dispute but perils of procrastination are there for every one. William Shakespeare called Procrastination "the thief of time". Students are legendary procrastinators and William Klaus, a psychologist, estimated that 90% of students procrastinate.