Author Topic: Perception of time - decades and generations (Read 1041 times)

Matthew · « **on:** September 07, 2016, 05:57:49 PM »

I've often been fascinated by this phenomenon --

For example, I used to think that a 40 year old is a Baby Boomer and/or someone who isn't very good with computers. In short, I firmly remember when my dad was 40.

Today, I am almost 40. My parents were Baby Boomers, and not even the oldest of them -- they were born in the 1950's, right in the middle of that generation. And I could have had computers growing up, though in point of fact my family couldn't afford one until I was 15. But I got right into computer programming. I've also been on the Internet since it was opened to the public.

Today, Baby Boomers are in their 60's and 70's.

MyrnaM · « **Reply #1 on:** September 07, 2016, 06:14:17 PM »

Is that what they call today, The Mandela Effect. I read about that effect and can't understand what they are talking about.

Matthew · « **Reply #2 on:** September 07, 2016, 06:43:22 PM »

Quote from: MyrnaM

Is that what they call today, The Mandela Effect. I read about that effect and can't understand what they are talking about.

I don't think that's quite it.

I think it's more like the phenomenon of an older man giving a 10 year old kid "two WHOLE dollars" for painting his lawnmower trailers all day long.

The older man's value of money is still influenced by what he experienced as a young man, when he was first learning about money.

Likewise, I can't bring myself to pay 2016 prices for candy bars ($1 for a regular sized candy bar) when I can remember them being 3/$1.00, 40 cents, or 50 cents at most. The cheap ones (Nestle) were even 5/$1.00 once at my local grocery store.

In my mind, a candy bar is still only worth 1/2 a dollar. It's what I learned and was used to for many years.

OHCA · « **Reply #3 on:** September 07, 2016, 07:39:16 PM »

Quote from: Matthew

Quote from: MyrnaM
Is that what they call today, The Mandela Effect. I read about that effect and can't understand what they are talking about.

I don't think that's quite it.

I think it's more like the phenomenon of an older man giving a 10 year old kid "two WHOLE dollars" for painting his lawnmower trailers all day long.

The older man's value of money is still influenced by what he experienced as a young man, when he was first learning about money.

Likewise, I can't bring myself to pay 2016 prices for candy bars ($1 for a regular sized candy bar) when I can remember them being 3/$1.00, 40 cents, or 50 cents at most. The cheap ones (Nestle) were even 5/$1.00 once at my local grocery store.

In my mind, a candy bar is still only worth 1/2 a dollar. It's what I learned and was used to for many years.

I am like you are on prices.

Also related to time, whenever I see an early 1990's model vehicle in rough condition that I remember as nice cars, I think "wow that car sure has been abused." Then I stop and think that it's nearly 25 years old.

It boils down to time is really fast and short--we just don't realize it until we're older (or most of us anyway). When I was sitting in class in 3rd grade, time seemed to move like molasses--8:00 - 2:30 seemed like weeks.

Also, I lost my sister when I was 3 1/2 (I do barely remember her). By the time I was in 3rd grade or so, it seemed like she had been gone for years (wasn't easy and I certainly hadn't forgotten her--just seemed like forever from my child perspective). By the time I was starting the last leg of my higher education, it seemed so long that I would have hardly believed that I would even live as much longer as it had been. Now it boggles my mind that it has been longer since I started the last leg of my higher education than she had been gone at the time.

Lighthouse · « **Reply #4 on:** September 07, 2016, 11:21:52 PM »

The Mandela Effect is recent bit of silliness trending on the web that is a little different from what Matthew is writing about. It consists of finding out that something that you remembered a certain way was remembered incorrectly.
The best example is thinking that some one had actually died, and then reading about their death in your morning newspaper. Or that you thought an event had happened in a certain way, and it turns out to have happened differently.

Scroll down the below website and see an example with the canonization of M. Theresa. In this particular case, it was probably the beatification they are remembering.

The occult/science fiction explanation is that it is something related to string theory which theorizes that we are caught in one of an infinite number of possible existences that only differ by one small occurrence. The Mandela Effect posits that one can be bumped into a parallel string which has minor differences that you pick up on when you notice something that is contrary to your memory.

Obviously, not a Christian path. I'd prefer to think reality is unique and unrepeatable.

Mandela Effect

OHCA · « **Reply #5 on:** September 07, 2016, 11:48:05 PM »

Quote from: Lighthouse

The Mandela Effect is recent bit of silliness trending on the web that is a little different from what Matthew is writing about. It consists of finding out that something that you remembered a certain way was remembered incorrectly.
The best example is thinking that some one had actually died, and then reading about their death in your morning newspaper. Or that you thought an event had happened in a certain way, and it turns out to have happened differently.

Scroll down the below website and see an example with the canonization of M. Theresa. In this particular case, it was probably the beatification they are remembering.

The occult/science fiction explanation is that it is something related to string theory which theorizes that we are caught in one of an infinite number of possible existences that only differ by one small occurrence. The Mandela Effect posits that one can be bumped into a parallel string which has minor differences that you pick up on when you notice something that is contrary to your memory.

Obviously, not a Christian path. I'd prefer to think reality is unique and unrepeatable.

Mandela Effect

I checked out the link. Those }@$+@?]$ are up to something sinister.

cassini · « **Reply #6 on:** September 08, 2016, 04:51:21 AM »

Quote from: Matthew

I've often been fascinated by this phenomenon --

For example, I used to think that a 40 year old is a Baby Boomer and/or someone who isn't very good with computers. In short, I firmly remember when my dad was 40.

Today, I am almost 40. My parents were Baby Boomers, and not even the oldest of them -- they were born in the 1950's, right in the middle of that generation. And I could have had computers growing up, though in point of fact my family couldn't afford one until I was 15. But I got right into computer programming. I've also been on the Internet since it was opened to the public.

Today, Baby Boomers are in their 60's and 70's.

When you reach 70 years old you regularly talk about time flying. First it is the years, then the months, then the weeks and now even the days go by like as a few hours. It is nothing now to miss a year or two when talking about a past incident.

Theories then come flooding out. Is time actually going faster these days? Is God fed up waiting to cause the next 'Flood' so He has hurried time? When my wife and others start brooding on these 'fast times' I say to them, 'well, at least we had them, unlike many others we know who died while young.

Then there is a witness to time that I undertook since I was a kid, me and a few pals. I was a constant initial carver, mostly on trees but a few times in cement. I can still witness my initial on a tree 1/3/49 (1949). I had another 1949 on a footpath but it was renewed recently. I put one on cement in my favourite swimming place a few years ago only to find recently it was 5/6/03, 13 years ago. I know there is another on top of a church that will never be seen again, only by God. When we were altar boys in 1952 and a new church was being built, one evening we climbed right to the very top, risking our lives (we didn't see it then like that) and carved out our initials on the lead covering, nearest to heaven we could get them.

Indeed I got the bug again in 2011 when I carved my initials on a young beech tree on 9/10/11, and again on 10/11/12. It will be another 100years before anyone can repeat that date on a tree.

TKGS · « **Reply #7 on:** September 08, 2016, 05:33:38 AM »

Quote from: Lighthouse

The Mandela Effect is recent bit of silliness trending on the web that is a little different from what Matthew is writing about. It consists of finding out that something that you remembered a certain way was remembered incorrectly.

Well, this is interesting. I wonder if it was named after the South African, Nelsom Mandela who was remembered by so many people as a wonderful freedom loving patriot when he prison when the fact was that he was a murderous communist terrorist.

MyrnaM · « **Reply #8 on:** September 08, 2016, 09:24:13 AM »

Quote from: Lighthouse

The Mandela Effect is recent bit of silliness trending on the web that is a little different from what Matthew is writing about. It consists of finding out that something that you remembered a certain way was remembered incorrectly.
The best example is thinking that some one had actually died, and then reading about their death in your morning newspaper. Or that you thought an event had happened in a certain way, and it turns out to have happened differently.

Scroll down the below website and see an example with the canonization of M. Theresa. In this particular case, it was probably the beatification they are remembering.

The occult/science fiction explanation is that it is something related to string theory which theorizes that we are caught in one of an infinite number of possible existences that only differ by one small occurrence. The Mandela Effect posits that one can be bumped into a parallel string which has minor differences that you pick up on when you notice something that is contrary to your memory.

Obviously, not a Christian path. I'd prefer to think reality is unique and unrepeatable.

Mandela Effect

Why am I afraid to click your link, suddenly a strange fear came over me when I almost clicked it so is didn't.

Nick · « **Reply #9 on:** September 09, 2016, 05:00:54 PM »

I'm almost 50 myself, and I think that nowadays,
"youth is wasted on the young"
Cause, by the time they're old enough to know what to do with it,
They're generally past doing it.

When I was a young lad, I remember that starting your own family, and providing for them; was considered as natural and normal behavior for people in their twenties.
Nowadays it's as rare as hens teeth.

Raphael · « **Reply #10 on:** September 09, 2016, 05:33:59 PM »

I call it a time warp.

I also think it begins hitting you in the mid-30's; it did for me, anyways.

I used to laugh at other people who were stuck in a decade (she's so 80's - hairstyle, clothing, speech...). Easily identifiable, right? I now see that I'm also a bit "stuck in a decade" somewhat. I tell my children how "in my day" (!) I could buy candy for 10 cents; $1.00 got you a bag-full. I drove one of those '86 Oldsmobiles that they look at as "old" (ha! I still think they're awesome). And I must admit that my 90's teenage years still influence the way I look at things now, from prices to style to sense of humour, even.

And reading some of these other posts, it obviously happens to all of us. (Cassini, you are so funny!)