It is worse than that. For those old enough to remember, at least in the USA the old Bell System ad's from the 50's and 60's were to be sure to answer all calls within three rings. That 'within three' part got burned into the minds of the generation that is 75+ now, which is why so many of them treat a ringing phone as 'absolute number one priority'. Me, I heard the #*$&$ thing ring so much growing up, with 80-90% being sales calls, that I can listen to a phone ring, ignore it, and go on about whatever it is I was doing that the caller so rudely wanted to interupt.