So long as you’re curious and open-minded, comparing things is probably one of the best ways to learn more about the world. When you have two or more things side by side, you start noticing changes, trends, and characteristics that you might have otherwise ignored.
Our team is featuring some of the most interesting ‘before and after’ photos from the legendary ‘Mildly Interesting’ online community to give you a fresh perspective on life. Not only are these pics intriguing to look at, but some of them might break your brain a little bit.
#1 M/07/1’3″ [23lbs > 13lbs = 10lbs] Still A Bit To Go, But My Owner No Longer Refers To Me As His Chunky Boy!
Image source: ItShanksTheSkanksss
#2 Before And After Power-Washing. New York Used To Be A Much Dirtier City Back When The Northeast Ran On Coal Plants
Image source: orevein
#3 Before And After A Girl Said She’d Come Over
Image source: Beneficial_One9639
Comparing things and looking at ‘before and after’ photos might be fun, interesting, and satisfy your inner scientist, but it can also be deeply bittersweet and even uncomfortable. The fact is, you might become strongly aware of the rapid passage of time, and everything that entails: changing relationships, your own mortality, beloved locations and buildings being changed, missing out on the things you used to love, etc.
Time spares no one, and what matters is the relationship you have with it. And while you can’t stop the passage of time, you can, actually, slow it down or speed it up. At least from a subjective perspective. The secret lies in what you do with your daily routine, what you focus on, what you feel, and how much you embrace novelty. At least, according to recent psychological research.
#4 I Rescued The Cat Off The Street. Photos Before And After. One Year Difference
Image source: alinaesther
#5 Sheepdog Before And After A Lil Haircut
Image source: take_off_the_foo-foo
#6 Socal Before And After A Wet Winter
Image source: Remnarc
According to Ian Taylor, at Loughborough University, the author of ‘Time Hacks: The psychology of time and how to spend it,’ rethinking your relationship with time can help you feel more fulfilled, less pressured, and less bored.
He explained to ‘New Scientist’ that, from his point of view, time is a subjective perception that acts as a framework linking people’s memories of the past with their hopes and ideas for the future. This, from his perspective, is what makes people’s lives coherent.
#7 Log Book Used Daily For Two Years vs. Brand New Book
Image source: dutchywins
#8 3 Days Of Studio Work, Barely Hanging On
Image source: kgofcourse
#9 Before And After Of The Excavation Of The Ancient Greek Stadium
Image source: unknown
“Our sense of time is not simply a function of the brain, it’s a complicated interaction between our mind, body and our feelings. Psychologically speaking, this internal clock speeds up or slows down depending on what else we are using our brain’s resources for and how much attention we give it,” Taylor told New Scientist.
#10 Before And After Watering My Plant Upon My Return To Work After Two Weeks
Image source: porcelainpappi
#11 The Before And After Of My Jaw Surgery
Image source: emzieees
#12 Before & After Double Jaw Surgery
Image source: minarima
“We know that our emotions and motivation have a strong impact upon how we perceive time. We find in the lab that, if we make people angry or sad, their perception of time slows down. If you make them happy, it speeds up. There is a reason people say, ‘Time flies when you’re having fun.’ However, emotions cannot just be grouped as positive or negative. You also need to consider their intensity, known as level of arousal.”
Higher intensity emotions tend to make time feel slower.
#13 My Crosseye (Strabismus) Surgery Before And After: Update: 3 Weeks Later!
Image source: simongm
#14 My Notes Before And After Being Prescribed Adderall
Image source: reddit.com
#15 My Hairy Leg After And Before Shaving!
Image source: unknown
So, for instance, you take two positive emotional states like feeling excited and feeling calm.
Their level of intensity is different, and you’d feel as though time slowed down in the former case, but not the latter.
This shift in perception can act as a survival mechanism in life-threatening instances to allow you to think clearly.
#16 Scrub Daddy Before After
Image source: mrgodai
#17 Before And After 41 Years Of Sharpening (Found At Knife Store In Kyoto)
Image source: theyllfindmeiknowit
#18 These Golf Balls At The Mini Golf Course I Work At Became Smooth After Spending A Lot Of Time In A Stream
Image source: The_Car_Fax
With all of this in mind, you can, in fact, try to slow or speed time up for yourself.
“You give people a picture of something desirable, like a tasty-looking cake, time feels like it passed quicker than if they’re looking at something non-desirable,” Taylor explained that the experiences that we want to avoid make time seem subjectively slower.
Meanwhile, if you want to speed time up, you need to strive for something that you want, and stay occupied with things that you enjoy, value, or desire.
#19 Table Hockey Puck After About Four And A Half Years Of Playing. New One On The Left For Comparison
Image source: fjontos
#20 Replaced My Mom’s Gardening Gloves For Mother’s Day This Year!
Image source: megodachi
#21 My Brain Before And After Brain Surgery
Image source: dslryan
Naturally, most people wouldn’t enjoy the idea of making themselves feel horrible just to slow down their perception of time. Instead, if you want more temporal abundance, what you can do is change your priorities. For example, if you’re spending lots of time on unpleasant obligations, sure, you’ll feel like time slowed down, but also, you’ll probably think that you haven’t had enough time that day. So, you should use your time wisely and focus on more valuable activities instead.
“Feeling like you have no time really comes down to whether you’ve used your time wisely or not and how that makes you feel, not how much time you really have available.”
#22 A Non-Smoker’s Remote vs. A Smoker’s Remote
Image source: anon
#23 A New 95 Mask vs. One Used For A 6 Hr Motorcycle Ride Through Delhi, India
Image source: unknown
#24 Cats Favorite Toy Before & After 6 Years Of Love
Image source: Ill-Cheesecake7143
Taylor told New Scientist that having a good relationship with time means a few things, including: not feeling exhausted, not feeling like you wasted your day, and feeling good about yourself.
“To do this, we need to have an awareness of time and how it affects our motivation and well-being.” Rewarding yourself immediately can motivate you far more than nebulous, vague, long-term rewards that are in a far-off, distant future.
#25 1940s Ladies Boots Before And After Polishing And New Laces
Image source: midnightpeizhi
#26 My Teeth, Before And After Braces
Image source: ItsMehRuby
#27 My Mom’s Handwriting Before And After Her Stroke
Image source: grannygogo
We’d like to hear your perspective, so if you have a moment, join the conversation in the comments.
Which of these comparison pics caught your attention the most, and why?
From your personal experience, what changes and trends have stood out to you the most, no matter if we’re talking about products, locations, ecosystems, or something else entirely?
Do you have any advice for slowing or speeding up the perception of time? Let us know!
#28 Before & After A Total Spinal Fusion
Image source: kiefydreams
#29 Shirts Before And After Losing 400 Lbs
Image source: braaaa1ns
#30 I Took My Temperature Before And After Eating A Bowl Of Ice Cream
Image source: smugmisswoodhouse
#31 Our Chicken Eggs Before And After Free Ranging
Image source: borninawigwam
#32 The Difference In Appearance Of This Nuthatch After I Found It vs. After A 2 Hour Nap In A Shoebox
Image source: FunSushi-638
#33 View From My House Of California Normal vs. California With Fires
Image source: sklein9
#34 Stairs Built In 1829 vs. 2005
Image source: unknown
#35 An Original 90’s Doodle Bear vs. My Exact Same Bear I’ve Slept With Every Night For The Last 27 Years
Image source: Mrs_New_Vegas
#36 Before And After Floor Sanding
Image source: unknown
#37 A Stack Of Old $5 Bills Compared To A Stack Of New Ones
Image source: TannerThanUsual
#38 Our Air Filter Came Out Black After Running All Week IA La With The Fires 10-20 Miles Away. New Filter For Comparison On The Left
Image source: bofstein
#39 Replaced My Old Boots With The Same Model, 7 Years Later
Image source: unknown
#40 My Old Trowel I Use For Stonework And A New One
Image source: shitpunmate
#41 2 Identical Hats, But One Was Worn Every Day For A Year
Image source: vidmantuks
#42 Before Watering And About An Hour After Watering
Image source: namedafternoone
#43 Brand New Pikachu Replacing Its 15 Year Old, Sun Bleached Cousin
Image source: AmazingDevo
#44 The Crocs I’ve Been Wearing As My Everyday Shoes For 6 Years vs. A Brand New Pair
Image source: procrastinatador
#45 Old vs. New Chocolate Chips
Image source: ChairsAreIdiots
#46 Wear Down On My Car Key
Image source: regnar0394
#47 New Retainer vs. Old Retainer
Image source: Spzncer
#48 My (New) Adidas Slides vs. My Dad’s 20 Year Old Ones. Design Unchanged
Image source: kicklouis
#49 My Husband Bought Me A New UNO Deck To Replace My 20 Year Old Deck
Image source: Eka414
#50 Brass Hammer (Again)
Image source: Iversonji
#51 Viking Axe Before And After Restoration
Image source: Petaaa
#52 My Daughter’s Favorite Stuffed Animal “Scratch” vs. The New Backup Replacement
Image source: unknown
#53 Old vs. New Shopping Cart Wheels
Image source: PabloPipe
#54 Carotenosis Before And After. Left Was Me In December, Right Is Me Now After I Stopped Eating Carrots Every Day
Image source: AhsewkaTano
#55 Before & After Removing My 8 Kg Ovarian Cyst
Image source: simsimmahr
#56 This Couple, Just Before And One Year After Leaving The Amish
Image source: PM_meSECRET_RECIPES
#57 British Passport Before And After Leaving The EU
Image source: smurfomelettes
#58 Frozen Breastmilk Before And After Consuming Large Amounts Of B12
Image source: strawberry_vegan
#59 The Air Filter I Just Took Out Of My Lawnmower vs. The One I Replaced It With
Image source: CourteousEnd785
#60 Before And After Going Through A Box Of Crest White Strips
Image source: Ghostspider1989
#61 1995 Zippo, Before And After. One Day It Will Look Like It Did Before The Sanding And Polish
Image source: nothing_fancy21
#62 Concrete Before And After Stamping It For A Stone Tile Look
Image source: Mesoposty
#63 Gloves Before And After Handling Ballots For Half A Day
Image source: Kikilicious-Kitty
#64 My MacBook Pro Before And After I Used Listerine To Remove The Anti-Glare Coating
Image source: Dravalo
#65 4 Years Of Use Of A Clear iPod Case
Image source: mcgacori
#66 Basketball New/Next To 4 Years Of Use
Image source: Millertime3063
#67 My Old Black Jeans After 3 Years Of Daily Use vs. The Same Jeans Brand New
Image source: birchfree
#68 My Husband’s 5 Year Old Wok vs. The Brand New One
Image source: linyx-_-
#69 Brand New Loofah vs. The Same One Bought 5 Years Ago
Image source: unknown
#70 3.5 Year Old Wire Brush Used Every Day Compared To A Brand New One
Image source: AusiiM
#71 My Husband’s Decade Old Computer Chair vs. New One The Same Model I Am Surprising Him With Tonight
Image source: cranberryleopard
#72 I’ve Made A Lot Of Mistakes In My Life
Image source: ItWasAllASapna
#73 Knee Pads After Four Years Of Kneeling vs. Completely New Knee Pads
Image source: minecraftboss42069
#74 Arbys Broom
Image source: Pastel_Princess_2466
#75 New Yoda vs. 2 Years Old Yoda
Image source: ceilingfanfriend
#76 Rip After 10 Yr
Image source: ChkEngineTech
#77 A Brand New Sketch Book Next To A Fully Used One (Same Type Of Sketch Book)
Image source: luvmell
#78 X-Mas Of 2019 I Got Two Pillows And Used 1 Of Them Every Night For A Year
Image source: mayday987
#79 New Sewing Needle vs. Sewing Needle After For Months Of Sewing
Image source: cecikierk
#80 Before And After Lotion
Image source: unknown
#81 Identical Chairs Before And After Pressure Washing
Image source: Additional-Hall3875
#82 This Trail Before And After Logging
Image source: louiscyr
#83 My Ears Before, And After Getting Them Reconstructed (Almost 3 Years Healed)
Image source: kaseeeey
#84 Before And After Hip Replacement Surgery
Image source: cj411
#85 My Attempt At Drawing A Horse 1/ Before 2/ After Practicing By Looking At Horse Photographs
Image source: project_broccoli
#86 Before And After Baking My Clay Crocodile
Image source: pawlascollections
#87 The Same Guy On A Men’s vs. Women’s Magazine, Same Month
Image source: mrappbrain
#88 Fresh vs. 6 Months Healed Tattoo I Made
Image source: TRLC
#89 The Difference Between A New Hair Tie And One I Have Used For 19 Days
Image source: aaa_azidoazideazide
#90 Before-And-After Cleaning Of A 300-Year-Old Silver-Inlaid Sword Pommel
Image source: Antique_Steel
#91 Before & After: Chicken Fryer Edition. Cleaned One Completely Before The Other To Show The Contrast
Image source: AnOldYoungGuy
#92 I Had Facial Surgery And 3D Printed Before And After CT Scans
Image source: Flappenstein
#93 Before And After A Lot Of Hard Work!!
Image source: wheelinyotas86
#94 Before And After
Image source: franklydankmemes
#95 I’m Retiring My Wallet After Over A Decade Of Service (Before & After)
Image source: AwesomeElephant8
#96 My Friend’s Signature, Before Residency (Left, 2016) And After (Right, 2022)
Image source: chongo_molongo
#97 After And Before Pics! On The Right – My New Trekking Trainers, On The Left – Exactly Same Model After 3 Years Of Use
Image source: ivakoo
#98 Caterpillars Before And After I Bumped The Branch
Image source: indissippiana
#99 Avocado Seed: Before & After
Image source: Arias-P
#100 My Dog Before And After Grooming
Image source: mAndrrew
#101 My Hand Before And After I Got Surgery To Move My Index Finger Over
Image source: evan4765
#102 Before And After Defrosting A Frozen Chocolate Croissant
Image source: elizabeth-cooper
#103 My Broken Collarbone Before And After Surgery
Image source: JayBuzz1629
#104 My Dish Scrubber Before And After ~8 Months Of Use
Image source: wrcsubers
#105 My Bus Stop Before And After Daylight Savings
Image source: Act_True
#106 Dayquil Before And After The Red Dye Ban
Image source: Germericanlovechild
#107 Egg Yolks Before And After Adding Red Pepper To Their Food
Image source: IllegalGeriatricVore
#108 Pecan Wood Before And After I Wiped It Down With Mineral Oil
Image source: 2buckburrito
#109 Porcelain Mugs Before And After Firing
Image source: HammerlyCeramics
#110 A Garden Chair Before And After Jetwashing
Image source: vimes72
#111 USA Fanta vs. UK Fanta
Image source: RRR-Craigyroo
#112 My Salt Rock Deodorant After Five Years Of Almost Daily Usage vs. A New One
Image source: Kritisk-Varning
#113 Old Growth Lumber vs. Modern Factory Farmed Lumber
Image source: LifeWithAdd
#114 Orange Tic Tac From The Us vs. Europe
Image source: Benjaminhagen
#115 Scrub Daddy: Brand New vs. 3 Years Of Use
Image source: Tharistan
#116 Old vs. New Syrup Branding
Image source: the_rocketbee
#117 Thanksgiving 2016 vs. Thanksgiving 2017. Nearly Identical Picture Taken One Year Apart
Image source: AuraBlazeMusic
#118 A LEGO I Built When I Was A Kid, Based Off A Catalog Picture vs. The Actual LEGO Set I Bought 15 Years Later
Image source: TriloBlitz
#119 Roots vs. Ends Of My Uncolored Hair
Image source: Breyber12
#120 Brand New Battery vs. One I Had In My Laptop For Two Years
Image source: reddit.com
#121 Pringles Can From 2012 vs. Now
Image source: TechWizGYT
#122 1 Year Old (Left) vs. New (Right) Home Reverse Osmosis Filter
Image source: poulox123
#123 Difference In Hair Color From When I Was A Kid vs. Today
Image source: M8614
#124 My Dad’s Lunchbox Of The Last 23 Years vs. The New One He Got Today
Image source: ThroughMyOwnEyes
#125 20 Year-Old Used vs. Backup Cordless Phone
Image source: bookworm_em
#126 Old vs. New Year Lemon Pigs
Image source: ColdPhenix
#127 Tomato On The Left Grown On My Grandmother’s Farm vs. One Bought At The Grocery Store
Image source: reddit.com
#128 Me In 1969 vs. Me At 69
Image source: GizmoGeodog
#129 Old Dog Brush vs. A New One
Image source: Gamer28222
#130 Thirteen Year Old Vader Keychain vs. New One
Image source: Slug701
#131 The Difference In These Stacks Of $1 Bills That Are Used vs. New
Image source: CardiganHall
#132 My Dad’s Briefcase That He’s Been Using Every Day For The Past 10 Years vs. One That He Just Bought Today
Image source: liviaz2001
#133 Furnace Filter vs. Two Weeks Of Wildfire Smoke
Image source: Im_alwaystired
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