The Continuity Of Self

This mental simulation also impacts our subjective sense of age. Since our self-image is heavily based on our recent episodic memories—compressed similarly across decades—we experience a continuity of self. Our brain’s need for narrative coherence leads us to maintain a unified and stable self-perception over time, regardless of age.

So when people say, “I still feel like I’m in my twenties,” it’s less about vanity and more about how our memory system maintains a sense of psychological constancy.