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Why does time go by faster the older you get?

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SickBoy

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I was just thinking today how quickly the past year has zoomed by, when I asked my self the question that is the thread title...

...to which I responded, I have no idea, but maybe there's a real reason, and if there is, some smarty man on GAF will surely know... and if not, I'll at least get to read dozens of smartass replies...
 
Hmm...I think for me its the opposite. Time went faster when I was younger, because the only problems I ever had were dealing with girls, homework, and waking the fuck up early enough. Now it's several times more....and then I get a little sentimental when I see Hogan on TV or Heman or something like that...and then I think about how life has changed so much. Ah life.
 
Each successive year is a smaller fraction of one's total life experience, thus it seems shorter.

When you're ten, a year is a full tenth of your existence, while when you're thirty, one year is only one thirtieth of your life, thus it seems shorter.

At least, that's my perspective at 3 a.m. when I'm three quarters drunk.
 
as stupid as this might sound, I believe in my opinion that one answer to your question is that when we're young, we're care free and focusing on nothing but school, t.v and the small things in life. But as we get older we have more responsibity so we just focus on paying the bills, going to work,and living out your day as a routine because we don't have the free time we use to have when we were younger so I guess you don't realize how much time goes by such your so caught up in your own stuff then when you finally get the time to stop and think about how much time went by. You realize then that life seems to go quicker and u get older...I don't know I try my hardest considering I can barely stay up anymore..it's late.....
* drops dead*
 
I think autopilote has a lot to do with the perception that time's moving faster. Time slows down when you're experiencing new things because your brain is active. When you rarely veer off a daily, homogenous grind, everything starts to blur together because there's little excitement/challenge to get your brain going. We create mental landmarks of things that have an impact on us: your first few days of work might be memorable, but it's unlikely the following 2 years will be unless you have an engaging job that's constantly changing.

There are a lot of other factors too. I've heard the explanation Boogie used before and I like that.
 
SickBoy said:
I was just thinking today how quickly the past year has zoomed by, when I asked my self the question that is the thread title...

...to which I responded, I have no idea, but maybe there's a real reason, and if there is, some smarty man on GAF will surely know... and if not, I'll at least get to read dozens of smartass replies...
Click to expand...

Yes, but it's all relative. Boogie has already anwsered the question.
 
Boogie said:
Each successive year is a smaller fraction of one's total life experience, thus it seems shorter.

When you're ten, a year is a full tenth of your existence, while when you're thirty, one year is only one thirtieth of your life, thus it seems shorter.

At least, that's my perspective at 3 a.m. when I'm three quarters drunk.
Click to expand...
there's your answer [/thread]
 
A psychology professor from my University wrote a book about it, simply called 'Why Time Goes Faster When You Get Older'. It's a great book, but it's in Dutch :(. Perhaps I should write a translated excerpt for you guys :). He works out lots of ideas/assumptions, combined with test results, etc., but in a readable, non-boring way.
 
Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud?
Like a swift-fleeting meteor, a fast-flying cloud,
A flash of the lightning, a break of the wave,
He passes from life to his rest in the grave.

Part of a poem (William Knox), seems relevant
 
Rei_Toei said:
A psychology professor from my University wrote a book about it, simply called 'Why Time Goes Faster When You Get Older'. It's a great book, but it's in Dutch :(. Perhaps I should write a translated excerpt for you guys :). He works out lots of ideas/assumptions, combined with test results, etc., but in a readable, non-boring way.
Click to expand...


damn. tell him to find a translator and release it in the US.. i'd buy it.
 
*Smacks head* I just found out on his personal website (http://www.douwedraaisma.nl/) that the book is translated! I can't recommend it enough, it's a great read and very interesting.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos...8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/026-4017724-8761201

0521834244.02._BO01,224,223,220_PIsitb-dp-arrow,TopRight,22,-21_SH30_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
 
OpinionatedCyborg said:
I think autopilote has a lot to do with the perception that time's moving faster. Time slows down when you're experiencing new things because your brain is active. When you rarely veer off a daily, homogenous grind, everything starts to blur together because there's little excitement/challenge to get your brain going. We create mental landmarks of things that have an impact on us: your first few days of work might be memorable, but it's unlikely the following 2 years will be unless you have an engaging job that's constantly changing.

There are a lot of other factors too. I've heard the explanation Boogie used before and I like that.
Click to expand...
I agree with you. I also think the daily grind means you long for the end of the day, watching the clock for the countdown to knock-off time. In turn you are looking forward to the end of the week, to that glorious weekend. You wish the time away, and then when the weekend finally comes it just seems to go so quick, before you know it is Monday again, and already, you are looking forward to the end of the week. And you do this week in and week out, and it all becomes just a blur, then before you know it the whole year has gone, chasing weekends.
That’s how it is for me.

..And because we are generally busier. I am anyway.
 
heh, I think boogie nailed it, also, I mentioned this to my father when I turned 24 and he said "You think its bad now" and then laughed.

FROWN
 
I dunno, but for me childhood is perpetually about the present, it was always about now and had an almost timeless quality. It is only when we get old, that we get a real 'concept' of the past and the future. And when we're more aware of time, I guess it's easier to be swept along with it.
 
Fire_Fox said:
as stupid as this might sound, I believe in my opinion that one answer to your question is that when we're young, we're care free and focusing on nothing but school, t.v and the small things in life. But as we get older we have more responsibity so we just focus on paying the bills, going to work,and living out your day as a routine because we don't have the free time we use to have when we were younger so I guess you don't realize how much time goes by such your so caught up in your own stuff then when you finally get the time to stop and think about how much time went by. You realize then that life seems to go quicker and u get older...I don't know I try my hardest considering I can barely stay up anymore..it's late.....
* drops dead*
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly.
 
Yeah, I think about it everyday. It goes by so fast it's simply unbelievable. Oh wait....I think a better word would be....downright SPOOKY!

demon said:
CUZ GOD'S A SICK SICK FUCK
Click to expand...


I don't think that was very nice.
 
I think time goes faster for a lot of the reasons above, but it doesn't have to. About 5 years ago I changed a lot of stuff in my life, and became a lot more self-aware, and found time slowed back down a huge amount. And I am very grateful for that.
 
Boogie said:
Each successive year is a smaller fraction of one's total life experience, thus it seems shorter.

When you're ten, a year is a full tenth of your existence, while when you're thirty, one year is only one thirtieth of your life, thus it seems shorter.

At least, that's my perspective at 3 a.m. when I'm three quarters drunk.
Click to expand...
right on the money. I remember I first realized that in the 8th grade....totally blew my 8th grade mind.
 
B000024D4P.02._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg


"Ticking away the moments the make up a dull day,
you fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown,
waiting for someone or somethign to show you the way..."
 
I don't know, but it really does. I'm only 22, which is very young, but with the way a year goes by now... I have to say it depresses me. A lot.
 
As Synth mentioned, this is the only appropriate answer -

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way.

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain.
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.

So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again.
The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older,
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.

Every year is getting shorter never seem to find the time.
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over,
Thought I'd something more to say.
Click to expand...

It gets me every damn time :(
 
As I said, a change in your life perspective can change this. I don;t think it's a function of time passed so much as stuff we fill our lives with and the supression of feelings about stuff.
 
I think that it has something to do with the fact that when we're younger, we're experiencing so much for the first time. First day of school, first summer break, first kiss, first time driving a car, first time having sex etc. etc. By contrast, I know that my adult life is a mind numbing routine of the same shit day in and day out.
 
I think you are all right...and it's a combination of factors most already accounted for in this thread.
 
when you are young, your frontal lobe has not totally developed yet and as such, concepts of time and the future are a physical impossibility (as in to consider them to the same degree as an adult), thus, as long as that is still developing, you acquire a greater grasp of what time 'is' and are more capable of looking at the bigger picture and seeing just how small a year is in comparison.

Whereas when you are a kid, '3 months from now' is like attempting to think of something thats going to happen 10 billion years from now.
 
slayn said:
Whereas when you are a kid, '3 months from now' is like attempting to think of something thats going to happen 10 billion years from now.
Click to expand...
So true.

When I was in elementary school, I couldn't wait for summer break. 3 months seemed like a long, LONG time.

But now... what's 3 months anymore? :D
 
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