Saving Daylight
Controlling things is one of the reasons some people aspire to leadership. It’s a weak position to take since most of those who report to anyone in authority resist being controlled. Every human being values freedom and liberty over a tyrannical government or a domineering boss.
Yet here we are, on the Monday after the first weekend in November, trying to control something that can’t be tamed. If you live in North America, like me, last Saturday night you completed the ritual of turning your clocks back by one hour to preserve daylight.
In the Spring you will reverse the ritual and turn your clocks ahead by one hour, again to supposedly preserve daylight.
We all know this ritual is just sleight of hand.
No daylight has been spared; time has just been shifted to accommodate someone else’s controlling interest.
Some History
According to an article on the Farmer’s Almanac website, Benjamin Franklin is credited with suggesting the concept of “saving daylight.” His 1784 article An Economical Project was somewhat satirical in tone. It advocated laws compelling citizens to get up before dawn, thus encouraging an early bedtime to save the expense of candles.
If Daylight Saving Time (DST) is a ploy to get the lazy among us out of bed, I’m not sure it has served us well.
World War I changed people’s attitudes about the concept. Both governments and citizens recognized the need to conserve coal that many people used for heating homes. Germans were the first to officially adopt DST in 1915.
The United States followed suit in 1918, when Congress passed the Standard Time Act, which also established time zones. It was introduced in spite of strong public opposition. Many Americans viewed the practice as an absurd attempt to make late sleepers get up early.
Final Thoughts
DST is alleged to save energy, improve the economy, and impact public safety and health. Naturally the studies find evidence on both sides of these issues; a good thing for those receiving grants to study DST.
I’m inclined to believe that politics has more influence over the continued practice of DST than any of the other benefits mentioned. When government can exercise controlling interest over some aspect of our lives there is little incentive to change the system.
This post is inviting leaders who like control, to reconsider their approach.
We all love the routines of work and play; the rhythms of order and schedule. That’s probably why DST will always be with us. It is our chance twice each year to act like we are controlling time, even though no daylight was actually saved.
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
