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Top-level
I suspect the reason many my age (or thereabouts) think 2000 was 'about 10 years ago' is because it's the last actual 'date' we all got genuinely worked about about The build-up, anxiety, Y2K, conspiracies. It was the last 'date' that was a universal 'emotional' landmark Some might argue this also applies to 9/11, but a) there was no 'build up' to that, and b) it was roughly the same time in our memories, so likely gets lumped in with 2000. /2 6 comments
I reckon we think '2000 was 10 years ago' because we logically know it was a long time ago, and, as we think in base 10, 'ten years' is an easy subconscious shorthand for 'a while ago, but within memory' A weird amalgamation of our instinctive and logical thinking processes, but then so many things are. /4 This "memory measured by significant events" system could also explain why 2016 can feel so *longer* ago, despite being relatively recent. There were MANY of significant events in 2016. But our experience suggests that such events are typically spread over longer periods /5 Basically, your brain's memory system may be saying "What's happened since 2016... WOAH! That's a LOT. That must have occurred over a really long period, because that's how things work!" I mean, it's *wrong*, but you can see the reasoning. /6 Contrast that with how most people can barely remember the COVID pandemic. The most significant, anxiety-inducing event of the modern era, that lasted nearly 2 years? And people *don't remember it*? How does that make sense? But it does, actually. /7 Basically, while the pandemic was *objectively* very significant, it was *subjectively* very dull. Same routine, same place, no standalone external events, for months on end? Our brains lacked significant experiences to commit to memory, and thus log the passage of time. /8 |
Gregory's Server
So, the year 2000 looms large in all our memories because of the baggage around it, so our brain's perception of the passage of time will be warped by it. Like a weight on a rubber sheet; everything will tilt towards it, even when it 'shouldn't'
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