What is actually middle-aged, if you account for perception of time's speed?

[Pingonaut]

Going with the theory that you perceive time differently as you age (your longest year being 1) because you have more time to compare it to, what would actually be middle-aged? Average human life span is 83 (rounded).

Explanation on this:

Your first year of life would be perceived as the longest, because you have nothing to compare it to. Year 2 would be 1/2 of your entire lifetime at that point.

I don't know if this theory is actually right in any way, and you can let me know if it isn't, I just wanted to know!

Edited July 17, 2014 by Pingonaut

[VirtualCLD]

Well, I'm 32 and I consider 40 to be middle aged. I'm already trying to save up money for my mid-life crisis. I'm thinking a Cessna 172 or a Piper Cherokee (not sure if it should be 140 or 160). Sadly, I tend to spend what little money I save up...

[No one]

If we assume that perceived age goes up at a rate of 1/(chronological age):

Let a=the age at which we start counting

Let x=Your chronological age

Perceived age = ∫1/xdx = ln|x|-ln|a|=ln|x/a|

Half your total perceived age = ln|83/a|/2

x=the age you will be that perceived age, solve for x:

ln|x/a|=ln|83/a|/2

x/a=√(83/a)

x=a√(83/a)

x=√(83a)

If we start at 0: 0. You first infinitesimal instant of life takes forever and the rest of it goes by in a flash.

If we start at 1/2 (I think that that's when you technically classify as self-aware or something): 6.44

If we start at 2 (I think that this is about when most people learn to talk and stuff, I forget):12.88

If we start at 6 (Ask yourself: Were you really sentient before the age of 6?): 22.316

Basically, if the function is really as simple as that, the middle of your life is pretty early.

[xcorps]

Ask yourself: Were you really sentient before the age of 6?):

Uhhh, you're sentient in the womb. So yeah, before 6.

38-42 is when you start middle age.

Edited July 18, 2014 by xcorps

[KerbMav]

Is it not dependent on the current maximum expected lifespan?

[Simon Ross]

Well, actually being 54 this year, I kinda felt middle age for me started around 51ish

You can still do all the things you ever did, it just takes longer to recover :-)

Simon

[Creature]

I'm 30 and definitely not yet an adult. I'm fully expecting some sort of exponential curve and one morning I'll wake up and feel all responsible and smart.

[Pingonaut]

I think only one person actually understood what the question was. It was not about what is middle-aged by those standards, but by the perception of time passing. Thank you, No one (that's a name). I'm not certain how well that math works out, I don't have time to check it atm, I'll do so later.

If we assume that perceived age goes up at a rate of 1/(chronological age):

Let a=the age at which we start counting

Let x=Your chronological age

Perceived age = ∫1/xdx = ln|x|-ln|a|=ln|x/a|

Half your total perceived age = ln|83/a|/2

x=the age you will be that perceived age, solve for x:

ln|x/a|=ln|83/a|/2

x/a=√(83/a)

x=a√(83/a)

x=√(83a)

If we start at 0: 0. You first infinitesimal instant of life takes forever and the rest of it goes by in a flash.

If we start at 1/2 (I think that that's when you technically classify as self-aware or something): 6.44

If we start at 2 (I think that this is about when most people learn to talk and stuff, I forget):12.88

If we start at 6 (Ask yourself: Were you really sentient before the age of 6?): 22.316

Basically, if the function is really as simple as that, the middle of your life is pretty early.

[vger]

I've wondered about this a few times with regard to the 'logarithmic time' concept, and it frightens me a great deal. I have a pretty grim view of how life is expected to be managed though, in that pretty much every single thing I was taught about adulthood ended up being a lie.

So it wouldn't shock me at all if life is perceptively half over by 25 (even if you live to be 90), or around when most graduate college.

[NERVAfan]

I'm not sure the shifting time perception speed thing is real, or at least universal.

My time perception seems to shift based on "deadlines". Time passes 'faster' on vacations, but it seems to be generally slower now that I'm out of college and don't have semesters to compare everything against.