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Rationality

Is it always irrational to procrastinate, or is there a way where procrastination as a choice can be rationally justified?
Accepted:
September 19, 2013

Comments

Oliver Leaman
September 20, 2013 (changed September 20, 2013) Permalink

I was thinking of replying to your question immediately but then I thought a delay would be appropriate. That is a good example of when procrastination is appropriate. There is obviously a level of procrastination where it involves actually refusing to act and this is irrational, and probably requires treatment of some kind. Normally though it is no bad thing to think a bit longer about what to do and far from irrational.

I am about to press the Submit button, should I wait, well, worth waiting to check what I have written and then I think it is time to release this into cyberspace. Or perhaps not, should I wait a bit longer? No more procrastination, it can go off now.

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William Rapaport
September 20, 2013 (changed September 20, 2013) Permalink

You should read Stanford philosopher John Perry's award-winning(*) essay, "Structured Procrastination", online at http://www.structuredprocrastination.com/



The 2011 Ig Nobel Prize in Literature


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