A.B.O.U.T. Behavior #19 : Not Sitting Still
The US Senate rules for the impeachment trial of President Trump attempt to enhance the senators’ focus and concentration by banning distractions. The rules specifically forbid reading material unrelated to the trial, using smart phones, turning on electronics, and talking to neighbors, as well as mandating that senators remain seated at their desks. As Senator Lisa Murkowski said, “Paying attention is significant…I’m glad we will be sitting in our chairs…” Senators, and Americans in general, should pay attention if they want to continue living in a functioning democracy.
The Senate rule makers recognized the importance of remaining seated for minimizing distractions. Similarly, psychiatric experts identified difficulties with remaining seated as one of the official diagnostic criteria for ADHD: “Often leaves seat in situations when remaining seated is expected.”
The psychiatric experts placed “not sitting still” in the hyperactive/impulsive category of behaviors. Sitting when others are standing usually does reflect the excessive energy and movement associated with hyperactivity. The inability to resist a desire to stand up and move around, when propriety insists on sitting, also displays a lack of control over one’s impulses.
