I don't know where the excess energy came from, but my mother insists that it's the unfortunate

consequence of eating candy bars and sugar cereals.

I'm Angela Duckworth.

I'm Stephen Dubner.

And you're listening to No Stupid Questions.

Today on the show, does society favor early birds overnight owls?

Well, you're taking a bird metaphor that probably has nothing to do with actual people?

Stephen, we have an email from a listener named Abby and I'd like to read it to you.

Are you awake enough to hear it?

Because it's morning.

It is morning.

We don't always record in the mornings, we should say.

We don't, but as an early riser, which I know you to be, I kind of knew you'd be awake

for it.

But some ridiculously early single digit number, yes.

I have been a very early riser for the vast majority of my life, although I'm trying now

to get more sleep.

So sometimes I will sleep in until, you know, six thirty or seven much feels so luxuriantly

criminal.

But I usually do wake up quite early, between five and five thirty, which to me, that's

just normal.

That is really early.

...