Change is happening all around us, whether we notice it or not. Sometimes it’s subtle, like the way a favorite tree in your backyard grows taller each year, and other times it’s as obvious as a skyline that suddenly looks nothing like it did before.Through photos, we can see these transformations more clearly. So we’ve gathered some of the mostfascinating comparison imagesfrom around the web to show you just how remarkable they can be. Take a look below—you might find yourself appreciating the world in a whole new way.This post may includeaffiliate links.

Change is happening all around us, whether we notice it or not. Sometimes it’s subtle, like the way a favorite tree in your backyard grows taller each year, and other times it’s as obvious as a skyline that suddenly looks nothing like it did before.

Through photos, we can see these transformations more clearly. So we’ve gathered some of the mostfascinating comparison imagesfrom around the web to show you just how remarkable they can be. Take a look below—you might find yourself appreciating the world in a whole new way.

This post may includeaffiliate links.

Two-Faced Cat

Change is a natural part of life. Even if we refuse to take part in it, the world keeps turning, the seasons move forward, and time marches on. With everything constantly in motion, it’s easy to miss how things gradually evolve around us, or even within ourselves.Interestingly, it’s not entirely our fault if we resist change. Humans are actually wired to be cautious about it—a survival instinctdeveloped over many years.

Change is a natural part of life. Even if we refuse to take part in it, the world keeps turning, the seasons move forward, and time marches on. With everything constantly in motion, it’s easy to miss how things gradually evolve around us, or even within ourselves.

Interestingly, it’s not entirely our fault if we resist change. Humans are actually wired to be cautious about it—a survival instinctdeveloped over many years.

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“When we’re born, our brain is completely malleable and experiencing new things all the time,”saysSantosh Kesari, MD, PhD, neurologist, neuro-oncologist and neuroscientist. “We’re figuring out positive and negative behaviors, what is good for survival and avoiding consequences that would cause even short-term pain. As we age, our brain learns ways to do things that make us do certain things, and behaving accordingly to each context and each stimulus.”

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In other words, our brains figure out what works and what doesn’t early on. This is helpful because it means we don’t have to keep relearning positive behaviors. However, the downside is that our brains get comfortable with certain patterns, making it difficult to adoptnew habitsor break old ones. That’s why trying to change routines, like incorporating moreexercise, can feel counterintuitive for our minds and bodies.

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“Emotionally and cognitively and executively the brain has established a lot of pathways,”saysDr. Sanam Hafeez, a licensed clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist. “The more you do something the more ingrained it becomes in neural pathways, much like how a computer that stores the sites you visit—when you log onto your browser, they will pop up because you use them a lot. Change is an upheaval of many things and the brain has to work to fit it into an existing framework.”

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So, tasks likedriving to workor taking a shower become automatic because we do them every day. Since they’re embedded in our neural pathways, these actions make daily life easier. As a result, “the brain doesn’t have to think too much,”saysDr. Stephanie Collier, director of education in the division of geriatric psychology at McLean Hospital and an instructor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

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“From an evolutionary standpoint we develop these neural pathways to adapt to live, so when we encounter change our brain shifts into a protective mode,” says Hafeez. “It has to use energy from reserves and it doesn’t know, from that evolutionary standpoint, if the change is good for us or not. It doesn’t know if this change is a one-time deal or whether it needs to re-establish a routine. ‘Will it hurt me?’ A lot of red flags go up.”“If you’re naturally aggressive and you have to change thatangry behavior, that may be a struggle, while someone naturally relaxed who say, has to go through a legal battle may have to shift gears,” she adds. “So much is involved.”

“From an evolutionary standpoint we develop these neural pathways to adapt to live, so when we encounter change our brain shifts into a protective mode,” says Hafeez. “It has to use energy from reserves and it doesn’t know, from that evolutionary standpoint, if the change is good for us or not. It doesn’t know if this change is a one-time deal or whether it needs to re-establish a routine. ‘Will it hurt me?’ A lot of red flags go up.”

“If you’re naturally aggressive and you have to change thatangry behavior, that may be a struggle, while someone naturally relaxed who say, has to go through a legal battle may have to shift gears,” she adds. “So much is involved.”

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Humans are so set in their ways that we’re actually less cognitively flexible than some animals. A2019 behavioral studyfrom Georgia State University found that monkeys, for example, are much more open to trying new strategies to reach their goals.In the study, both humans and monkeys were taught a method to achieve simple goals and receive rewards—recognition for the humans and banana pellets for the monkeys. They were then shown a shortcut that would help them reach their rewards faster. The monkeys were quick to adopt the more efficient shortcut, while humans were slower to embrace the new approach. However, once the benefits became clear, people were more likely to get on board.

Humans are so set in their ways that we’re actually less cognitively flexible than some animals. A2019 behavioral studyfrom Georgia State University found that monkeys, for example, are much more open to trying new strategies to reach their goals.

In the study, both humans and monkeys were taught a method to achieve simple goals and receive rewards—recognition for the humans and banana pellets for the monkeys. They were then shown a shortcut that would help them reach their rewards faster. The monkeys were quick to adopt the more efficient shortcut, while humans were slower to embrace the new approach. However, once the benefits became clear, people were more likely to get on board.

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Change also becomes more difficult to introduce as we age, but it’s essential for sustaining our cognitive health. “You absolutely can and should teach your brain to change,” says Hafeez. “If you stretch your brain past its comfort zone, you’re opening the door to being receptive to other types of change.”To achieve this, there are various things we can do. Visual, spatial, and memory exercises are great ways to give your brain a workout, and many of these can be easily found online. At first, doing them regularly might not feel enjoyable.“You will get frustrated,” notes Hafeez, “but that means it’s working—just like how your muscles are sore after taking a break from the gym and then returning. You’ve been out of touch with this for a while, but the more you do it, the more your memory of how to do it comes back.”

Change also becomes more difficult to introduce as we age, but it’s essential for sustaining our cognitive health. “You absolutely can and should teach your brain to change,” says Hafeez. “If you stretch your brain past its comfort zone, you’re opening the door to being receptive to other types of change.”

To achieve this, there are various things we can do. Visual, spatial, and memory exercises are great ways to give your brain a workout, and many of these can be easily found online. At first, doing them regularly might not feel enjoyable.

“You will get frustrated,” notes Hafeez, “but that means it’s working—just like how your muscles are sore after taking a break from the gym and then returning. You’ve been out of touch with this for a while, but the more you do it, the more your memory of how to do it comes back.”

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Ultimately, regularly challenging ourselves to try new things and make positive changes can open us up to viewing the world differently and help us build confidence.

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