IndexDoes time pass more slowly when we are youngerDoes time really fly when we are having fun?Do all animals perceive time the same way?ConclusionHave you ever argued with a friend about how quickly it passes the time? You may have found that one movie really dragged on, while it felt like Paddington 2 was over in the blink of an eye. If you're busy at work, the day may seem to go by faster than when there are no clients, no meetings, or the phone isn't ringing. Do we all experience time differently from each other? And does time speed up and slow down depending on our mood, activities and experiences? The famous French philosopher Henri Bergson would say yes (or rather “oui”…) Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In the early part of the 20th century, Frenchman Henri Bergson was the most celebrated philosopher of his time, attracting large audiences to his lectures. His 1889 doctoral thesis was all about time: “Time and Free Will: An Essay on the Immediate Data of Consciousness.” In it he explored the theory that humans experience time differently than the scientific measurement of time: technology's clock time is not the same as the psychological time we experience. Time passes slower when we are youngerWhen you were little, weren't you? Do car rides and the time between holidays seem interminable? As adults, however, Christmas is upon us again before we know it. Why is this? (It can't just be because TV commercials start in October.) The idea is that our perception of time seems to be largely determined by how much information we have to absorb. When the brain receives information from the outside world it needs to process it. If the information is familiar, very little time is needed, but new information requires more processing and this can lengthen the time. When we were younger, much of what we were experiencing was new, so time actually seemed longer. Does time really fly when you're having fun? It's true that a day spent having fun with friends can be over before we know it. However, it's not the fact that we're having fun that makes time pass quickly – simply being happy and content won't necessarily make time pass faster – it has everything to do with our occupied attention. If we are fully engaged in a task or pursuit, multitasking, or focused on achieving a goal, then time can seem to fly by. On the other hand, when we are bored or our mind is not occupied, we are less distracted. We end up “watching the clock,” unable to believe how slowly time is passing. Memory also impacts how we perceive time. As discussed, an exciting vacation will seem to fly by. A week of work, scrolling through emails, can go on forever. However, when you think back to these different periods several months later, your memory will tell you otherwise. The slow, boring week at work will seem shorter in your memory, and the holidays will seem to last much longer than they did then. This is because memories are formed when we have new experiences, and the more emotional or less familiar the experience, the stronger the memory will be. On vacation, because we experience so many new things, we will form so many strong memories. These act as markers, marking the period of time and giving it a sense of duration. Conversely, we may not have many specific memories of a normal, mundane work week (no one wants to relive back-to-back meetings). Without those markers.