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Time seems to be one of the most valuable luxuries. AFAIK it is not entirely clear why time seems to pass faster when one grows older. One argument is that th

by smokel 12d ago

Time seems to be one of the most valuable luxuries. AFAIK it is not entirely clear why time seems to pass faster when one grows older. One argument is that the older brain does not form memories as intricate as in the younger brain. Has anyone experimented with actively making more complex memories to make time pass slower? Seems like the best approach to living longer, at least in experience.

mavilia 12d ago
No direct answer, but I’ve personally noticed that having seasons makes a big difference here. After spending the past year on the East Coast with all of the different seasons, I certainly felt like time was going slower and looking back. It is pretty clear cut in my brain as to how much I did during that time. That’s in contrast to where I normally live, which is southern California where you basically just go between Summer and Winter Lite which does seem to make the time pass quicker and lead to more routine living. I’ve often speculated with my friends around here about how there is a “Paradise Effect” of living here with both how people live their lives, as well as with how we perceive time.
bluebarbet 12d ago
If you spend a year in prison then the time will pass incredibly slowly, but in retrospect (this is what prisoners usually say) the ordeal will seem quite short. Conversely, if you spend the year furiously partying or traveling or trying new adventure sports then the retrospective memory will be full to the brim, but the year itself will pass in an instant. It all seems quite logical to me. There's no negotiating with the passage of time.
- lexandstuff 12d ago
  I worked in a mattress factory for a while, doing the same repetitive task day in and out. I remember feeling like the days passed painfully slowly, but the years flew by.
me_smith 12d ago
I’m trying to fight it by journaling more and trying to remember more of the details that make each day special (good or bad). Even the small things. Whether that is something I did with my son, or something I did slightly different for a routine task.
- DenisM 12d ago
  Does it work? Journaling is a major commitment, I hope it pays for itself.
sersi 12d ago
I've found that traveling and discovering new things make time seem to pass slower because I have a lot of memories of those new places. On the other hand when I'm in a routine and keep doing the same thing everyday, it feels that time passes slower at the moment (because I'm bored) but looking back then time seems to have flown by
- tmnvix 12d ago
  Exactly my experience and fits with my idea of how time is perceived in general. Ask a young child what they did this last week and they can likely rattle off a whole bunch of things that they've learned/experienced/discovered for the first time - a lot of 'memory milestones'. Ask your average adult and you'll often just get "same same" - no new 'memory milestones' because the week was pretty much just a repeat of a regular routine. As for how it feels at the time. There's a lot of truth in the sayings "time flies when you're having fun" and "a watched pot never boils". It's a paradox.
schaefer 12d ago
Go on a ten day meditation retreat. Time will hit the breaks, hard.
- WJW 12d ago
  Maybe this is because I'm not a native speaker, but I'm having difficulty parsing this. What breaks? Do you mean time slows down during the retreat, or does the effect persist afterwards?
  - richardfontana 12d ago
    I think they meant "brakes" but not completely sure.
  - schaefer 12d ago
    Yes, I meant slow down. With effort, the effect can persist. But you have to be willing to make changes.
- wallst07 11d ago
  The hardest thing anyone has to deal with is their own thoughts in silence. I suspect most of the people here (including myself) are so addicted to tech and instant access to information it would be unbearable for most. Experience: Meditated every morning for an hour for sometime, it was tough in the beginning.
blehn 12d ago
Because time is relative —— year for a 50 y/o is 1/50th of their life; a year for a 5 y/o is 1/5th of their life.
chr15m 12d ago
The way back always seems shorter that the way there. That's because you've already seen everything on the way there. Neuroscience says novelty, plus attention, plus later retrieval are what slow down subjective perception of time. So make sure you are having novel experiences, pay attention while you're having them, and recall them again later. Even small things like going to a park you don't normally go to, and noticing the foliage and sounds can help. Big things like travel helps as well if you make sure you're taking it in, and it you recall the trip again later.
IAmGraydon 11d ago
It’s because you do less memorable things, so there are less milestones to judge the time by. When you’re young, you don’t have to try so hard as many things are new and exciting. As you get older, you get a career, fall into autopilot mode, and maybe just take a vacation once in a while. Your options are to either figure out how to free yourself of this system so you can spend your time exactly how you want, or to rediscover the wonder and reward in small, seemingly everyday things.

by smokel 12d ago

mavilia 12d ago

No direct answer, but I’ve personally noticed that having seasons makes a big difference here. After spending the past year on the East Coast with all of the different seasons, I certainly felt like time was going slower and looking back. It is pretty clear cut in my brain as to how much I did during that time. That’s in contrast to where I normally live, which is southern California where you basically just go between Summer and Winter Lite which does seem to make the time pass quicker and lead to more routine living. I’ve often speculated with my friends around here about how there is a “Paradise Effect” of living here with both how people live their lives, as well as with how we perceive time.

bluebarbet 12d ago

If you spend a year in prison then the time will pass incredibly slowly, but in retrospect (this is what prisoners usually say) the ordeal will seem quite short. Conversely, if you spend the year furiously partying or traveling or trying new adventure sports then the retrospective memory will be full to the brim, but the year itself will pass in an instant. It all seems quite logical to me. There's no negotiating with the passage of time.

lexandstuff 12d ago
I worked in a mattress factory for a while, doing the same repetitive task day in and out. I remember feeling like the days passed painfully slowly, but the years flew by.

me_smith 12d ago

I’m trying to fight it by journaling more and trying to remember more of the details that make each day special (good or bad). Even the small things. Whether that is something I did with my son, or something I did slightly different for a routine task.

DenisM 12d ago
Does it work? Journaling is a major commitment, I hope it pays for itself.

sersi 12d ago

I've found that traveling and discovering new things make time seem to pass slower because I have a lot of memories of those new places. On the other hand when I'm in a routine and keep doing the same thing everyday, it feels that time passes slower at the moment (because I'm bored) but looking back then time seems to have flown by

tmnvix 12d ago
Exactly my experience and fits with my idea of how time is perceived in general. Ask a young child what they did this last week and they can likely rattle off a whole bunch of things that they've learned/experienced/discovered for the first time - a lot of 'memory milestones'. Ask your average adult and you'll often just get "same same" - no new 'memory milestones' because the week was pretty much just a repeat of a regular routine. As for how it feels at the time. There's a lot of truth in the sayings "time flies when you're having fun" and "a watched pot never boils". It's a paradox.

schaefer 12d ago

Go on a ten day meditation retreat. Time will hit the breaks, hard.

WJW 12d ago
Maybe this is because I'm not a native speaker, but I'm having difficulty parsing this. What breaks? Do you mean time slows down during the retreat, or does the effect persist afterwards?
- richardfontana 12d ago
  I think they meant "brakes" but not completely sure.
- schaefer 12d ago
  Yes, I meant slow down. With effort, the effect can persist. But you have to be willing to make changes.
wallst07 11d ago
The hardest thing anyone has to deal with is their own thoughts in silence. I suspect most of the people here (including myself) are so addicted to tech and instant access to information it would be unbearable for most. Experience: Meditated every morning for an hour for sometime, it was tough in the beginning.

blehn 12d ago

Because time is relative —— year for a 50 y/o is 1/50th of their life; a year for a 5 y/o is 1/5th of their life.

chr15m 12d ago

The way back always seems shorter that the way there. That's because you've already seen everything on the way there. Neuroscience says novelty, plus attention, plus later retrieval are what slow down subjective perception of time. So make sure you are having novel experiences, pay attention while you're having them, and recall them again later. Even small things like going to a park you don't normally go to, and noticing the foliage and sounds can help. Big things like travel helps as well if you make sure you're taking it in, and it you recall the trip again later.

IAmGraydon 11d ago

It’s because you do less memorable things, so there are less milestones to judge the time by. When you’re young, you don’t have to try so hard as many things are new and exciting. As you get older, you get a career, fall into autopilot mode, and maybe just take a vacation once in a while. Your options are to either figure out how to free yourself of this system so you can spend your time exactly how you want, or to rediscover the wonder and reward in small, seemingly everyday things.