The perception of time with age

[+Warwagon MVC]

The perception of time with age.

2003, oh how it seemed not so long ago. When  in fact 2003 was 12 years ago. Lets blow your mind for a moment and put this in perspective. Now this won't work so well, for kiddies on this forum who are not very old. But for those of you who are over 30 ..

2003 to 2015 was 12 Years ago

From the time when you were 8 years old til the time you graduated high school was 10 years.

Which one seemed longer?

[sundayx Veteran]

I read an argument for this a while ago. Consider this.

Take for example your 7 years in high school, when your age was around 11-18. The course of your high school years at age 18 was over a third (38%) of your life.

Now that you might be say, 35, thinking back to your high school years was just 20% of your life. Your impression and memories have been compressed and a lot more has happened since then. 

[+Warwagon MVC]

I read an argument for this a while ago. Consider this.

Take for example your 7 years in high school, when your age was around 11-18. The course of your high school years at age 18 was over a third (38%) of your life.

Now that you might be say, 35, thinking back to your high school years was just 20% of your life. Your impression and memories have been compressed and a lot more has happened since then. 

 

Add to the fact how BORING school was!! ... Ferdinand Magellan .... Really????? The Days Drugg

[Louisifer]

Vsauce explains it well.

[Rigby]

It still freaks me out a little that the movie Back to the Future was made exactly as long ago as 1955 was from the time the movie was made.

When we were kids we were experiencing new things all the time, almost every day was something new. Add to that all the things in the future we looked forward to like starting high school, getting a driver's license, etc. It all seemed so impossibly far in the future and the time just seemed to drag by. Then we get jobs and settle down and suddenly we're doing the same thing day after day, year after year, and when every day is pretty much the same as the last the time just flies by. The older you get the fewer new experiences you have so time seems to rush by even faster.

[+Warwagon MVC]

Vsauce explains it well.

 

So basically when you are 80 ... its gonna be like ....aaaaaaaaand your dead lol.

[+Warwagon MVC]

It still freaks me out a little that the movie Back to the Future was made exactly as long ago as 1955 was from the time the movie was made.

Great point!

[Louisifer]

 

So basically when you are 80 ... its gonna be like ....aaaaaaaaand your dead lol.

Don't blink or you might be 90!

[sundayx Veteran]

I always think the year 2000 was not that long ago... 

[+Warwagon MVC]

I always think the year 2000 was not that long ago... 

 

My 31st birthday was 5 years ago and it feels like yesterday! Same year as the Double Rainbow song. Yes the double Rainbow song has already been 5 years

[CrashG]

Being 44 at the time of this post, I've seen incredible achievements/technological advances, but most of the youth of today take it as a given without any thought, just Google it.  Take their phones/internet away and they're helpless.

Hey you kids, get off my lawn!!

 

[Irascible Bob]

My paternal grandmother Bessie, (that's my dad's mom, ifin thar be young'uns about) was born November 17, 1885 &, approx 1 month shy of her 96th birthday & cast off this mortal coil on October 16, 1981.

Her husband, Albert, (whom I never knew, as he died in 1942) traveled for business early on in their marriage. He moved regionally by train & upon arrival at a destination, rented a horse & carriage in order to visit clients.

Bessie & Albert built a house to accommodate their family of 5; 1 daughter & 2 sons & all of whom were born at home. The home they built was wired for electrical service, but it was very early on in the advent of in-home electrical lighting & the fate of this technology was far from certain. Consequently, while the house was wired, it was also fully plumbed to ensure that gas lighting would be available as a fall-back, should in-home electricity not survive.

She witnessed transitions from horse & carriage, to automobile; she lived in Ohio when the Wright Brothers 1st took flight in 1903 & watched on live TV as Neil Armstrong took humankind's 1st steps on Moon.

She was blessed with continued good health. Using a walker, she remained mobile within her home, & insisted upon living independently up until approximately 5 or 6 months before her death. Doubly blessed, she remained completely lucid & in possession of a consistently keen mind until her final 10 - 14 days, Bebe (Bessie) was as strong willed, intelligent & inquisitive as she was fascinating, engaged & engaging. And I am a better, far richer person for those hours spent with her; many shared with family & many spent in wonderful 1 to 1 conversation.

And now for some perspective .....  :eyebrow:  -

[Irascible Bob]

That was "Then" -  So, my grandmothers life as profiled above can serve as a kind of high level historical documentary; a time span ushering in profoundly dramatic, truly world altering developments.

This is "Now"  -  Regardless of how or when "Now" serves as a reference, a core component of "Now" is a factor of continuously accelerating change. While history is full of regressive periods (think: The Dark Ages) statistics demonstrate that the rate at which change occurs trends toward continuous acceleration. But this change does not simply tend to accelerate over time in isolation. Advances in science & technology (change) help give rise to an ever expanding compliment of disciplines & technologies, leaving us even more to comprehend.

This change, happening all around us, is fascinating, challenging & compelling. We, as curious & motivated creatures, want to understand & incorporate this change; both because it's really, really cool stuff going on & as people we desperately want to remain relevant within the context of our evolving landscape. As cool as it all is though, we none-the-less proceed through life, focusing our time & energies on absolute priorities, & finding we are left with less time to indulge in all that seductive evolving coolness.

So ... It is thus by which we arrive at the following formula:

More Change Occurring On More Fronts  +  Accelerating Rate At Which Change Occurs  +  Less Time / Resources To Assimilate Change  =  Eric Wareheim's Head Explodes

[conna]

It was having kids... Nothing changes as many perspectives than raising your own spawn. 

[tompkin]

It's like that C.S. Lewis quote:

“Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different...”