Why Life Goes Faster As You Get Older

Quick Overview

Life feels like it speeds up as we age because the brain records fewer novel, highly detailed memories, leading to a subjective compression of time; slowing down time involves intentionally seeking novelty and intensity in daily experiences, as the brain's subjective measurement of time is based on the density of recorded memories.

Key Points: The subjective experience of time accelerating with age is due to the brain recording fewer novel, detailed memories, causing time periods to feel compressed in retrospect. One year feels like a shorter fraction of one's total life as one gets older, making time seem to pass faster. The key insight is that the brain's experience of time is based on memory density, not clock time; one second always passes at the same rate. To slow down time, one must consciously increase the novelty and intensity of experiences, as the brain dedicates more cognitive resources to encoding new information. Monotonous routines and passive consumption (like binge-watching Netflix) lead to fewer unique memories, causing time to feel compressed and uneventful in hindsight. The speaker uses his consistent daily use of Athletic Greens (AG1) as an example of a positive, novel routine backed by clinical trials showing improved nutrient levels and gut bacteria.

Context: The speaker addresses the common phenomenon where time seems to accelerate as people get older, a subjective perceptual shift that contrasts with objective clock time. He explores the psychological reasons behind this feeling, contrasting the richness of memory encoding in youth with the routine-driven experience of adulthood, and offers actionable advice based on cognitive science to counteract this acceleration.

Detailed Analysis

The video explains that the subjective feeling of time speeding up as we age stems from how our brain encodes memories. When we are young, everything is novel, leading to a high density of detailed, episodic memories for any given period (like a childhood vacation), making that time feel long in retrospect. As adults, life often falls into monotonous routines (work, commuting, familiar habits), requiring less cortical effort from the brain, resulting in fewer unique, detailed memories being stored. Since our retrospective judgment of time's passage relies on the volume of encoded memories, a period with low novelty, like a routine month, feels compressed and short. The speaker uses his own trip to Africa in 2018 as an example of an intense, memorable period that felt long when recalled, compared to the mundane. The solution proposed is to actively fight this cognitive habit by seeking novelty and intensity—doing new things, traveling, trying salsa dancing or comedy nights—to force the brain to create dense, lasting memories. The speaker concludes by mentioning his sponsorship with Athletic Greens (AG1), noting that even consistent, positive routines, like taking AG1 daily (which he claims is backed by clinical trials for filling nutrient gaps), can be deliberately framed as novel investments to ensure time feels slower and more memorable.