[khoury]

So the closer to death you are, the less you explore what is left for you to explore in this world. Do you just not feel like you have the energy in finding new things to like or experience anymore because you don't think there is anything left, or is it just that you feel 'fed up' with new experiences since younger days? I'm just curious.

[lmm]

I think "new experiences" has diminishing returns like anything else. E.g. I could go to a new art gallery and that would be a new experience on one level - but I've been to quite a few art galleries, so I have a good sense of what going to an art gallery is like in general, and also I know that my favourite is pretty good, so it would be better to go back there. I could try a new sport, but I've played plenty of sports already - and a new sport is less likely to be more fun than my current favourite.

[trentmb]

The novelty of novelty wears off.

[JoshTriplett]

It's not that novelty wears off, it's that your library of patterns has expanded to the point that fewer things manage to reach the same threshold of novelty.

To continue to experience novelty, you have to find new patterns, not just new things that fit patterns you know.

[yen223]

The more I travel, the more I realize people and cities everywhere are more alike than different.

[anexprogrammer]

That may in part be the net and globalisation. I saw more differences travelling in the 90s than I do today.

[mrspeaker]

Or you were 20 years younger in the 90s and things seemed more different because you'd experienced less? I have a really hard time getting into new music these days for that reason.

[hilop]

Literally there were fewer cities with McDonald's 20 years ago. Globalization is real.