89 Timeline Comparisons That Might Completely Mess With Your Head (New Pics)

Technically, time is always moving at the same speed, but it certainly doesn’t always feel like that. For a kid, time seems to move incredibly slowly, as one year is a much larger portion of their entire life. But once you hit 30, it feels like the years fly by in just a few minutes. But an hour can feel like a lifetime if you’re in extreme pain or completely a challenging task. Meanwhile, an evening out with your best friends can feel like it passed by in the blink of an eye.

One community that understands perfectly how confusing the passing of time can be is the Barbara Walters 4 Scale subreddit. This group has been around since 2019 and amassed an impressive 101K members who are eager to share creative and bizarre timeline comparisons. Originally, it seems as though members would make references to 1929, the year Barbara Walters was born, or how old she was at a specific point in history. But today, members have come up with infinite ways to compare different points in history and make you question your own perception of time!

According to Earth.com, it’s true that our perception of time really does change as we age. For example, when we have new experiences, it seems to move much slower. We vividly remember things that we experience for the first time, but as they become routine and mundane, they all start to blur together. This is part of the reason why first impressions are so important, because we tend to remember them!

Earth.com also explains that when our brains encounter new things, flags are raised that tell us to remember that moment. It’s also quite rare for most adults to have new, novel experiences. So they tend to stand out when every other day is full of the same commute, sitting in the same office and doing the same workouts on repeat. 

Meanwhile, the older we get, the less alert we tend to be, which can make the entire day feel like it moves faster. If we’re not noticing as many things, and our eyes and brains are literally picking up on less than they did when we were young, it’s easy for time to just start slipping away. And, of course, when you’re young and full of energy, you’re likely going out more often, participating in more activities and spending more hours awake anyway.  

However, if you want to start slowing down how you perceive time, Earth.com notes that there is a way: divert from your routine. Plan at least one activity each week that you won’t be able to do on autopilot, and while you’re engaging in it, be sure to pay close attention to what you’re doing. Notice how all of your senses are engaged, and try to stay fully present the entire time. Try to increase your curiosity in your everyday life, and allow yourself to get bored from time to time.