How to Slow the Perception of Time
Audio Brief
Show transcript
This episode explores the fascinating concept of time perception, discussing how novelty and intentional action can make life feel longer and more meaningful.
There are three key takeaways from this conversation. First, intentionally breaking daily routines can slow down your subjective perception of time and create more lasting memories. Second, reframe past struggles and failures as character-building experiences that provide valuable lessons. Third, embrace pursuing goals with a low probability of success, understanding that persistence is the primary way to improve your odds.
The brain processes more information during novel experiences, causing time to feel slower. This contrasts with the blur of monotonous daily life, where time seems to pass quickly and memories merge.
Small, consistent changes, such as taking a new route or trying a different restaurant, can compound over time. This intentional novelty helps make life feel richer, longer, and more fulfilling.
Significant, emotional, or challenging events demand greater presence and engagement. This heightened state makes these moments more memorable, even if they were difficult.
Shaping these events into a personal narrative helps in retaining memories and finding meaning. Reframing failures as character-building experiences transforms them into valuable lessons for future growth.
Many truly worthwhile goals inherently have low odds of success. The path to achieving them lies not in guaranteed outcomes but in sustained effort and increasing attempts.
Persistence and grit are crucial. By consistently taking shots on goal, individuals improve their probability of eventually succeeding, making seemingly insurmountable challenges attainable.
Ultimately, the episode encourages a proactive approach to living, where intentional action, resilience, and the pursuit of meaningful challenges enrich one's perception of life's duration and depth.
Episode Overview
- The speakers discuss the concept of time perception and how introducing novelty and breaking routines can make time feel slower and life feel longer.
- They contrast the vivid memories created by unique, challenging, or new experiences with the "blur" of monotonous daily life.
- The conversation explores the psychological value of pursuing difficult goals with low odds of success, emphasizing the importance of persistence and grit.
- They reflect on how different life stages and societal eras, like the prosperous 1990s versus more challenging times, can shape our expectations and perception of normalcy.
Key Concepts
- Slowing Time Perception: New experiences, such as traveling to a new place or simply taking a different route to work, force the brain to process more information, which in turn slows down our subjective perception of time.
- The Monotony Blur: When life consists of a repetitive, unchanging routine, time seems to pass quickly and large periods can blend into a single, indistinct memory.
- Memorable Moments: Significant, emotional, or challenging events (both positive and negative) are more likely to be remembered vividly because they require us to be more present and engaged in the moment.
- Compounding Novelty: Small, consistent changes to one's routine can compound over time to make life feel richer, longer, and more fulfilling.
- Narrative and Memory: Shaping your life's events into a personal narrative or story arc helps in retaining memories and finding meaning, even in failure.
Quotes
- At 00:02 - "Slowing the perception of time... I've never been to this studio before... and this time has gone slower than I thought." - The speaker explains how a novel experience, like recording a podcast in a new location, makes time feel like it's passing more slowly.
- At 01:03 - "High school is just like yesterday... Whereas I feel like that's like... a whole century ago, honestly. It feels like a whole other world." - The speaker contrasts the common feeling of the recent past with his own, attributing his perception to the number of unique experiences he's had since then.
- At 04:00 - "There are certain moments of your life where you're truly present in the moment. And as a result of that, you get to experience that time slower, and that time gets to be more significant in your life." - The speaker explains that being present and engaged makes moments more memorable and impactful.
- At 21:42 - "Anything that's really worth having, and the more it's worth having, the odds of it are lower. But the way to increase your odds is by increasing the shots on goal." - The speaker argues that the key to achieving difficult but valuable goals is persistence and increasing the number of attempts.
Takeaways
- Intentionally break your daily and weekly routines, even in small ways. Take a new route to work, try a different restaurant, or learn a new skill to slow your perception of time and create more lasting memories.
- Reframe past struggles and failures as character-building experiences. Negative or challenging periods often require heightened presence, making them memorable and providing valuable lessons for future growth.
- Embrace pursuing goals with a low probability of success. The value lies not just in the outcome but in the effort and persistence, as increasing your attempts is the only way to overcome unfavorable odds for things truly worth having.
