How Much Late is Too Late?

"Too late" isn't about time—it's about consequences.

In Japan, a train delayed by seconds warrants an apology. In Mediterranean cultures, punctuality might make you awkwardly early. But across all cultures, lateness transforms from inconvenience to disrespect when someone must reorganize their day around your absence.

You're truly "too late" when what was waiting has moved on—when critical decisions are made without you, when flights depart, when someone gives up waiting.

In relationships and careers, "too late" isn't measured by clocks but by opportunities lost. Windows close not with dramatic slams but with the quiet click of circumstances moving beyond reach.

The wise understand: almost nothing is too late until we decide it is.

What defines "too late" in your world?