Time Doesn’t Go Faster In Adulthood. We Just Enjoy It Less.

Does time fly the older we get?

Most people I’ve heard comment on it says it does. But what makes us think like that?

I remember when I turned five years old, I had to tell everyone I met about it. It seemed like it took too long to get there, and I couldn’t get to six fast enough.

Time seems to drag by when we’re children and teenagers because there’s more we can do as we get older. After we stop growing, however, it’s like time robs us. We turn around and it’s already our tenth-year high school reunion. Soon, without feeling like we’ve physically aged a day since then, the reality hits us that we’re closer to middle age than high school.

Time, of course, does not speed up once we reach adulthood. We simply enjoy it less.

Exceptions abound, and many who had horrible childhoods choose to block those years from memory. These people likely do enjoy adulthood more than childhood. But most people look back on their school years fondly.

The stress we face now didn’t exist then. The responsibilities we face now were our parents’ business. The carefree enjoyment we gained from play and leisure eclipsed the limited vacation and free time we now have, which often includes taking work home with us.