I want to know how to counter this effect.
Why time “speeds up” as we get older (2019)
141–150 of 167 posts
Re: Why time “speeds up” as we get older (2019)
#142Another hunch that I have is that as you get older you tend to have less unique experiences. I believe our brains compress the information and an entire day that was much like the previous day can just feel like it sped by quickly. Alternatively, if you go on vacation or change your routine then time will slow down as you process a lot of new information.
This is my favourite theory and I liken it to this for those who have driven alot.
The first trip on a new road or a road not travelled for a very long time always feels like it takes the longest. The more you travel that same road often the faster the journey feels. At least to a certain point.
Re: Why time “speeds up” as we get older (2019)
#143[Unfortunately I can't find the sources anymore]
The reason why we imagine time pass faster when we get older is related to how we experience and remember events during life.
As events excite us, the perception of that particular Time-Event is short but since we were fully engaged at that time, we remember it more in detail and thus taking longer. Vis versa, time spend in boredom is perceived as passing slowly but since nothing out of the ordinary is happening, we remember it as a quick period with nit much detail.
Couple that with the exciting youth and dreadful routine as an adult, your life in your older ages becomes repetitive plus, depending on how much knowledge you like to consume,feels easier to predict and thus by default less exciting. Experience kills the novelty and partially the excitement, resulting in the opinion that when you wake up one morning feeling like the past 5 years have passt with a blink of an eye, that time flies by.
I think that hobbies besides your daily routine can help you battle that feeling of lost years.
On the other hand I found something else helpful: you gotta figure out your calibration of your routine:novelty ratio. If you are a person that likes 60% novelty and 40% routine but you are stuck in a job that is very repetitive or doesn't leave you with enough energy after work, you'll end up earlier in that "life is passing too quickly category".
But if you somewhat can adjust your life to that calibration then you experience the right amount of novelty that makes you feel that life takes exactly as long as needed.
Re: Why time “speeds up” as we get older (2019)
#144Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just pointing out a bit of inadvertent ageism. And I definitely wasn't implying they live boring lives. My spouse for example doesn't work, and in fact is quite busy with an impressive garden landscape. She doesn't always know what day it is, because it doesn't usually matter.
It's not ageism to recognise the negatives of age... jesus christ.
That's fine as long as it's ok to point out the negatives of youth.
But even that's not fine. Better to recognize we're all different, whether it be age, race, creed, orientation, cilantro/no-cilantro, whatever. VI vs EMACS tho - 'nother story.
Re: Why time “speeds up” as we get older (2019)
#145Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think I was unintentionally ageist, sorry. I'm fifty myself, it wasn't deliberate. Also, a routine doesn't necessarily gets boring, you're right. I was thinking of a university friend of mine. He didn't work, only studied for finals, and had a very interesting life with little money. Somehow he didn't flunk.
You weren't being "ageist". It's normal to assume that old people live at home and aren't out doing many things. It's also normal to assume that 16 year olds get acne. Please don't let someone censor you for acting rationally.
> It's normal to assume that old people live at home and aren't out doing many things
No, it's not normal. Not at all. I hope for all that's good it's not your life when you're old, or if you're old it's not your life.
Re: Why time “speeds up” as we get older (2019)
#146Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not necessarily. People who don't work aren't necessarily living boring lives.
Just pointing out a bit of inadvertent ageism. And I definitely wasn't implying they live boring lives. My spouse for example doesn't work, and in fact is quite busy with an impressive garden landscape. She doesn't always know what day it is, because it doesn't usually matter.
I mean, it's not age-ist. Age-related? Age-correlated? Age-esque? Yes, for sure. But "age-ist" brings with it a connotation of being derisive which is definitely not part of this conversation.
Re: Why time “speeds up” as we get older (2019)
#147Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just pointing out a bit of inadvertent ageism. And I definitely wasn't implying they live boring lives. My spouse for example doesn't work, and in fact is quite busy with an impressive garden landscape. She doesn't always know what day it is, because it doesn't usually matter.
I think I was unintentionally ageist, sorry. I'm fifty myself, it wasn't deliberate. Also, a routine doesn't necessarily gets boring, you're right. I was thinking of a university friend of mine. He didn't work, only studied for finals, and had a very interesting life with little money. Somehow he didn't flunk.
I'm 60. I'm learning to be sensitive about it, while also being aware that there are those that are younger who have insights I don't.
It's a partnership, and it works better when one tries to understand that roles evolve over time - for one's self and for others. Also understand that stereotypes of age (and many other things) are not a great way to go through life.
Re: Why time “speeds up” as we get older (2019)
#148And yet, meetings still take forever, so I would take this with a grain of salt.
Re: Why time “speeds up” as we get older (2019)
#149I have an alternative (although unproven) theory. I have been practicing meditation for 15 years, sometimes in batch of 100 hours. The more I practice, the more the time slows down. Not just while meditating, but after the fact as well. Although it fluctuates and I'm not back to my kid self, it feels that I have tremendously more time now than a few years ago. I suspect that it's tied to how much present you manage t…
Just to add another data point: I've been meditating for 8 years now. I did a 10-day vipassana course 3 years ago. I meditate everyday (usually using Sam Harris' app, but not always).
As much as I'd like to agree with you, I'm not sure I can, i.e. I can't say that time seems to pass less quickly since I've started meditating regularly.
Maybe this has something to do with the fact that I have a 3-year-old son (i.e. I always feel like I should have more time, even when I consciously plan to not do anything)? Maybe I don't meditate "the right way"? Or maybe I'm just not a good judge of how I perceive time. I don't know.
Re: Why time “speeds up” as we get older (2019)
#150Another hunch that I have is that as you get older you tend to have less unique experiences. I believe our brains compress the information and an entire day that was much like the previous day can just feel like it sped by quickly. Alternatively, if you go on vacation or change your routine then time will slow down as you process a lot of new information.
This is the typical explanation, and it meshes very well with everyone's day to day experiences. Vacations to unique places last forever. Never been? Spend 2 weeks in Japan and you'll remember it just as vividly as the best summer from your childhood. Every moment of every day will be long and filled with memories. Debugging code every day? Yeah of course that's not memorable. Your brain is just tossing away repetiti…
I dunno. I had a kid and it feels like time is moving even FASTER now. "They grow up so fast..."