“When Richard Pryor hosted, NBC wanted a five-second delay because Richard might say something filthy. We ended up with a three-second delay, I think. But it was a new negotiation every week.”

–Bernie Brillstein, quoted in Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live by Tom Shales, James Andrew Miller

I can’t imagine how much stress I could have prevented or how much time I could have saved if I had a three-second delay on my mouth. How many times did I say “yes” to something — a colleague’s request for help I didn’t have time to give, an invitation to a meeting I didn’t need to attend, or even the urge to offer an unnecessary and perhaps incorrect or inappropriate comment — that didn’t deserve it, but that cost me time, money, or something else? Or how many times did I ask or tell someone to do something for me that was later proven a waste of time?

Impulsivity. The hyper speed to speak or decide or do. A hallmark of people with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. Where is NBC when I need it?!