Recently, I was introduced to a psychological and philosophical idea that by the time we are 25, we have experienced over half of our lives due to the fact that the amount of ‘new experiences’ we have afterwards reduces dramatically. Furthermore, the idea claims that the way we perceive time is based on new experiences and that by the age of 25, we have experienced most of what life has in store for us. (The idea seems to stem from a psychological concept known as the Weber-Fechner Law and ideas by philosopher Paul Janet – in case you would like to read more about it. These sources will also claim the midpoint is anywhere between seven and 25, but for the sake of this blog, I am using 25 as my reference point.)

It is more than safe to say that this is a wholly depressing idea. But nonetheless, an idea that feels hard to dispute. While the perception of time is a highly subjective measure and cannot be scientifically prodded, I can still rely on my own experience with, well, ‘experiences,’ to engage with the idea presented.

In my life as of late, my mind has been the internal battleground for a war regarding whether or not to stay in Toronto. While I have lived here for the better part of the last nine years, I have started to feel that Toronto has lost its ability to provide me with fresh experiences. Life had begun to feel rote and repetitive, and even experiences that should have felt ‘new’ reminded me of another. I have felt that there is no solution that would allow me to feel excited about life again in Toronto, and a move or a major change would be required.

And then, last week, I was blessed enough to be able to see the Coldplay concert.

In my life, there are very few instances where I have been left absolutely shell-shocked by an event. It felt almost transcendental and left me on a high that for DAYS had me reliving moments from the event. It was a day that bled into others, improved my mood and had me enjoying music in a way I had not for a while. It proved an idea to me I did not believe to be the case anymore; that there were still new experiences to be had in Toronto.

But then again, I thought, if I were to go to a Coldplay concert again, would the experience be the same? Would I feel the same way? The answer, I believe, is clear to us all. No. I may enjoy it, but I could only have that experience for the first time once. The absolute euphoric experience was a one-time event, and I will not be able to go back to it for the same effect.

The value of the concert is well beyond the music or even the (incredible) production. It is steeped in nostalgia, or to be more specific, the aspect of nostalgia that wants to accomplish a dream to feed the younger version of ourselves. Which led me to ask myself a very simple question: As I go through life and undertake all the activities that I would have wanted to do when I was a child, will I come to a point where I simply run out of nostalgia?

Is that the point at which the perception of most of my life will be finished? Will there be no more highs to achieve, like the Coldplay concert? Will my perception of time forever be faster?

While this is a bleak view on the human condition, I do find it hard to disprove, at some level, that the activities that excite us are based on our childhood, and eventually, we will have done those things enough times to stop being excited about them. They stop being novel experiences and start joining the mundane. So, if life after 25 feels just as long as life before 25 in terms of perception, that tracks for me.

But I do not think it HAS to be that way.

While all this remains true in my mind, I believe we can always build more excitement for the future. While we attribute nostalgia to activities/experiences from our childhood, I believe we can always build more.

You just have to continue feeding that child in us and refuse to let it die. Continue to be excited about new books, movies, games, authors, or whatever suits your fancy. Never let yourself become so serious that you cannot enjoy the art in the world. Never tell yourself that because you are a certain age, you should not do a certain activity. Keep being excited; do not let age stop you. Take risks, find new places, new people, and new ideas. Because then we continue to put in the groundwork to be excited for the future, and we find more in the world to be nostalgic about.

And perhaps, then, even in a fast world, we can all live just a little longer.

Esah Mirza is a Construction Manager, Trivia Host and an ‘occasional’ writer based in Toronto. esahmirza@gmail.com