Why things become less exciting as we grow?

16 comments

1. Bouncy castles

2. *Why* do things get less exciting? Been there, done that. Loses its luster after a few times.

   *What* gets less exciting? Birthdays.

3. When you’re first born, everything is new. As time goes, many things lose their novelty because you’ve seen and done them before. You can take a step back to appreciate things, but that first-time wonder is gone.

4. Because things aren’t new, and even for the new things, we have a wealth of experiences to filter the new ones. Part of why a kid is so mesmerized by seemingly simple things is because it might literally be one of the most exciting things they’ve seen in their entire short life.

5. I don’t think generally speaking things as a whole become less exciting – the actual things I find exciting have changed though as my views/perceptions have changed.

   For the example, younger me was much bigger with partying, watching sports, etc. Though I don’t have excitement the same for those things, I have the same excitement for other stuff instead.

6. Less new experience, seems obvious

7. Because we get to know them and they lose the wow factor a lot. Also as we age, we except new things as they are, or don’t accept them, because we innately dislike change. Hence the boomer mentality.

8. Because you’re dead inside

9. Crowded places

10. Because everything rips off something else and by the time you’re older you already saw the originals

    Or at least you already saw the version that was around back then

11. Novelty vs nostalgia. Some things will feel just like old times, others will feel bland and not quite how you remembered it.

    Mix in the realization that time costs you money and money costs you time and you have to mix what you want to do with your routine of monotony.

12. reality, life beats u down enough to the point where things aren’t as fun.

13. sex

14. Your stress baseline gets higher, so if +40% stress is the threshold for excitement, with a baseline shifted +20%, it takes 60% total stress points to get to excitement vs when you were younger and stress free, you only needed the ~40 stress points.

    I’m #1 bullshit guy, though- and I’m just making it up, but it seems to make sense.

15. Something to do with memory and how the human brain works. I believe it’s why alcohol, weed and all the other kinds of drugs are so popular. Interesting thing to think about.

16. I haven’t felt excitement in years