Personally, I would NEVER recommend showing up late to anything.
It’s just not in my DNA. I get twitchy and nervous if I’m on-time for things. And if I’m going to be late for an event/appointment/etc., I’d rather just skip the whole thing.
But, apparently, you’re supposed to arrive 38 minutes late to a party. I’m not quite sure what kind of “new-math” this is, but I wholeheartedly disagree with this conclusion.
According to a political reporter named Sam Brodey(yeah, that’s who I get all my party advice from!), he tries to show up 38 minutes late to parties because that’s the “sweet spot.”
He says that usually, you won’t be the first person there, but you won’t show up awkwardly after things are really rolling. And at a dinner party, you won’t be too late to pick the seat you want.
Again, I vehemently disagree with this. I suggest showing up at LEAST 10-15 minutes early to everything. Then you have time on your side in case you encounter traffic, or a train at a crossing, or need to stop for gas. When you show up early, it shows that you’re eager to spend time with your friends, and it also gives you the ability to LEAVE early, which is my true “sweet spot.” Nothing like ghosting a party and going home without all the grab-ass & goodbyes. Plus, being early ensures first-dibs on the food, drinks & the bathroom is usually the cleanest it’ll be all day.
But, if being late is more your “thing”, a mathematician named Daniel Biss recently worked with “The Atlantic” to create a formula to determine the exact time you should show up at a party.
His scientific formula took seven factors into account to figure out your perfect arrival time, including how punctual your friends are, how awkward it would be to arrive too early/late, & how excited you are about the party.
