Book Review of Why Life Speeds Up as You Get Older: How Memory Shapes Our Past by Douwe Draaisma
In Why Life Speeds Up as You Get Older, Dutch psychologist Douwe Draaisma tackles a universal puzzle: why do the years seem to accelerate as we age? For children, summers stretch on forever; for adults, they vanish in a blink. Draaisma—equal parts psychologist, philosopher, and historian—argues that the answer lies not in clocks but in memory.
We measure time by the density and novelty of our experiences. Childhood teems with “firsts” and vivid sensory impressions, which our brains record in rich, detailed layers. Adult life, in contrast, becomes routine: commutes blur, habits repeat, and novel entries in our mental archive dwindle. When we look back, those repetitive years appear compressed, as if someone fast-forwarded the tape. The more predictable life becomes, the faster it seems to flee.
Memory’s Quirks
Draaisma explores the “reminiscence bump,” our tendency to remember disproportionately more from ages 10 to 30 than from middle age. This is life’s most volatile period—identities form, careers begin, loves erupt and dissolve—and its novelty etches itself deeply into memory.
He also delves into déjà vu, flashbulb memories, and the way intense emotional events—joyful or tragic—are stored with unusual clarity. Throughout, Draaisma draws on literature, psychological research, and biography, giving his theories human texture.
Routine and the Compression Effect
Perhaps his most persuasive point is that subjective time depends more on variety than on actual speed. When days are interchangeable, they compress in hindsight. A two-week trip to an unfamiliar country yields a vivid, detailed memory; two weeks at home on autopilot can vanish entirely from recall.
The implication is practical: to slow life down, we must seek novelty—travel, learn new skills, break routines. Curiosity fuels memory, and memory makes time feel full.
Style: Insightful, Sometimes Dense
Draaisma’s academic background brings rigor but also weight. This isn’t breezy pop-science; theory, historical digressions, and psychological terminology can slow the pace. At times it feels as though a brilliant dinner companion slips into lecturing an invisible seminar.
Why It’s Worth Reading
Still, the book’s rewards outweigh its occasional heaviness. It answers a question nearly everyone has asked—“Where did the time go?”—without resorting to easy clichés. Draaisma connects the speed of life to how we experience and store it, offering readers both explanation and prescription.
He reminds us that memory is not a perfect archive but a selective reconstruction. Knowing this can help us resist nostalgia’s distortions, be more deliberate about the future, and forgive the blurry stretches in between.
If nothing else, the book invites a sharper awareness of our days—and the chance to make them more memorable.
Why You Should Read This Book (Even If It Feels Slow at Times)
1. Because you’ve felt it – That creeping suspicion that summer vacations used to last forever but now your weekends feel like a sneeze. Draaisma explains why.
2. Because novelty is a time machine – Learn how to make your life feel longer (without doing prison time).
3. Because it’s not pop-psych junk – This isn’t “10 Ways to Hack Your Brain”; it’s grounded, well-researched, and occasionally chewy—like a good baguette.
4. Because it’s a mirror – You’ll start noticing the routines that compress your years into mental footnotes.
5. Because one day you’ll be 90 – And you’ll want those decades to feel like decades, not Tuesday afternoons.
Why Life Speeds Up as You Get Older: How Memory Shapes Our Past by Douwe Draaisma:
Cambridge University Press, 2012
UK Paperback Edition (Canto Classics): 2012
Original Dutch Publication: Waarom het leven sneller gaat als je ouder wordt, published in 2001
Online Publication (Cambridge e‑book): July 2014; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511489945
