Perception is mercifully slow

We tend to ignore the simple fact that a plant is growing while we look at it. In the evening, when we look at the plant again, we are not surprised that it perked up to the sun over the course of the day. However, we would be floored if we saw it perking up, if we saw it moving.

Perhaps it is a blessing that our perceptual abilities cannot record movements that slow. We would have an entirely different experience if they did. We would see buildings decay, sidewalks rot, people wrinkling up. We would see movies as a set of flashing still pictures, our kids would be growing in front of us. The sun would be moving slowly across the sky, inching toward sunset. Dust would be collecting very slowing in the corner of the room. And the pages of a book would be yellowing in your hands.