Feeling time slip away? Here's how to slow down aging perception according to TikTok and philosophy
Are you nearing thirty yet still feel like you're barely out of your teenage years? Do you wonder where your youthful years have gone? One moment you're a student and the next, you're a parent with a house to manage. The older we become, the less we value time. This notion may sound odd given the inevitability of mortality, but it’s quite easy for people to fall into routines that hinder fresh experiences. If you aspire to do more than just exist in your fleeting life, you might want to follow the advice provided below.
10:44 AM EST, December 23, 2023
Time is a relative concept
The issue of time passing by is universal. Can you recall those gatherings when you and your friends reminisced over events that seemed like they happened just yesterday when in reality, years had passed? Many of us experience this sense of time distortion. Lukasz Hodorowicz probed deeper into this topic in one of his TikTok videos where, in under two minutes, he lucidly discusses the concept of "passing time" and how to combat it.
Hodorowicz refers to the theorem of French philosopher, Paul Janet, who proposed that time accelerates as we age. But how can this occur when the Earth's rotation remains constant for everyone? The answer lies in the differential experiences across varying age groups. Take, for instance, a one-year-old child versus a young adult. The former is discovering an unknown world and for him, a year is quite literally his entire life. Compare this to a twenty-year-old who has encountered numerous "first-time" experiences, which means each following year conveys considerably fewer surprises. A year of his life only accounts for 5% of his entire existence. The older you become, the less significant time appears to you.
How to "slow down" time?
Are you scared at the thought of aging without truly seizing each moment life presents you? We are too, and that's why the advice rendered by the video creator is worth considering. In 1970, William James conducted a study which concluded that introducing new experiences in life is a proven method to decelerate the passage of time.
What's going on in your life? Is it a constant routine of work, home, and sleep? It's no surprise then that day after day feels like a ceaseless cycle to you. If you don't introduce anything new or exciting in your life, time will inadvertently slip away. It could be minor alterations like enrolling for a new class or even a massive life-changing decision such as switching careers or relocating to a new country. In such scenarios, every day morphs into a challenge, causing time to seemingly stand still!
