The older we get, and the more of the world we’ve seen, we start to develop a routine. The days start to blend together, and time seems to pass us by. Psychologist William James concluded as much in Principles of Psychology. He explained that, compared with childhood, adulthood has fewer new and memorable experiences. We often measure time by firsts—our first day our school, first kiss, first home, first child—when we run out of firsts, James says “the days and weeks smooth themselves out…and the years grow hollow and collapse.”
