The God of ‘Hang on a Minute…’

July 3, 2012 by Jonathan Rowson · 2 Comments
Filed under: Social Brain

Earlier today I chaired an event on the virtues of procrastination with Professor Frank Partnoy, who was recently nicknamed ‘The God of ‘hang-on-a-minute’.

I will (he says like a true procrastinator) return with a more detailed blog on the subject soon, because I want to

WAIT

until I can do the event (see photo) and the book justice. (There is great stuff about the timing of jokes and apologies, lots of decision theory, an analysis of discount rates, a constructive critique of Gladwell’s blink and much more- way too much to get into at the end of the working day).

(Image via bookandborrow.com)

We are accepting a quick answer when instead we should be asking a slow question.”

However, for now it seemed worthwhile to direct you to the lively twitter feed of the event, the site where the audio will soon appear and share a few of the lighter, funnier quotes from the book:

“To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time” – Leonard Bernstein

“Never put off until tomorrow what can wait until the day after tomorrow.” – Mark Twain.

“Make sure you have finished your speaking before your audience has finished their listening” – Dorothy Sarnoff

There are also some really serious implications in the book for the major issues of our time, of which the following is a mere tease:

“Today virtually no politician…talks about replacing GDP in the long-term; instead everyone has zeroed in on how to increase GDP in the short term. We are accepting a quick answer when instead we should be asking a slow question.”