Perception of time, as we age.

[Argirios Argiriou]

Perception of time, as we age.

The brain maze

When you’re five years old, a single year represents 20% of your entire life, but at fifty, it accounts for just 2%, which helps explain why time feels like it speeds up as we age.
This idea, often referred to as Janet’s Law, suggests that by the age of twenty, you’ve already lived roughly half of your perceived life.
In other words, a summer holiday at five can feel as long as the entire decade from forty to fifty.
However, this acceleration of time isn’t inevitable—having agency and seeking new experiences can slow it down by creating richer, more lasting memories.
If you live on autopilot, life may feel short and compressed, but if you actively pursue growth and novelty, your eighty years can feel like two hundred.