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Danny Rubin

Line graphs sum up what happens as we grow up

American writer Danny Rubin created these graphs to sum up how our lives run – from start to finish.

DURING THE DRIVE home from work, American writer Danny Rubin found himself listening to NPR (US talk radio).

On the programme, the host talked about President Obama’s speech on the National Security Agency, in which the president, in a nutshell, said he will reform the NSA but not stop its collection of metadata.

He pulled into his driveway, clicked off the radio and thought, “Ya know, I feel like I’ve been listening to NPR more now than I used to, which was basically zero.”

He had just turned 30 (and already misses these 20 things about being in his 20s) and realised his consumption of talk radio, in general, is slowly but steadily increasing with age.

He then wrote the following on his blog:

If I had to predict my relationship with talk radio over the long haul, here’s my best guess:

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Come to think of it, we can describe much of our lives in simple line graphs, he says.

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Which means this line graph is all over the place:

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At least family life remains consistent (after our teens):

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When it comes to drinking, the line graph gets a little more colourful:

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Our careers also take a toll:

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That’s why, when life gets too crazy, we need to curl up with a sure thing:

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Children’s programming always lightens the mood too:

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Even at our lowest, may we never do this (except once):

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Still, plenty of life’s greatest truths have no timeline at all.

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What’s true happiness?

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Let’s try again.

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Still following this blog post? Remarkable!

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What graph do you agree with most? Tell us in the comments section.

Danny Rubin is the creator and writer of News To Live By, a blog that highlights the career advice ‘hidden’ in the day’s top stories. In Danny’s columns, he shows how any news story can actually make us better at living. Follow the blog @NewsToLiveBy or subscribe to the e-newsletter.

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    Mute Dennis Collins
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    Jan 26th 2014, 6:10 PM

    Two big errors:
    - The drinking graph implies that you basically give up drink for an entire year around the age of 29.
    - The cartoon-watching graph takes absolutely no account of the huge surge in cartoon enjoyment during one’s college years.

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    Mute DaVe O'm
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    Jan 26th 2014, 9:44 PM

    Yes, 29 is the magical age when people realise they are nearly 30 and start discussing how they’ve always wanted to run a marathon.

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    Mute Alan Johnson
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    Jan 26th 2014, 5:23 PM

    Root bear is great throughout life…. Not just for kids!

    My “age -> talk radio consumption” is right on the nose.

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    Mute Pauric McKenna
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    Jan 26th 2014, 5:08 PM

    The line-graph representing my interested in theJournal.ie articles is slowly bottoming out..

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    Mute Dave Dson
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    Jan 26th 2014, 5:16 PM

    I feel so degraded, I am a line graph now.

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    Mute Crocodylus Pontifex
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    Jan 26th 2014, 5:12 PM

    A new rock bottom for thejournal.

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    Mute Paul Debussy
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    Jan 26th 2014, 5:17 PM

    Pure shite.

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    Mute Olivia Fitzgerald
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    Jan 26th 2014, 8:54 PM

    All very accurate, especially the cartoons, Saturday night out and appreciating my parents. Never liked Celine though! Think I’ll follow this blog.

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    Mute Joy Herron
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    Jan 27th 2014, 12:18 AM

    The luck / hardwork graph are on the wrong axis – hard work being the independent variable – other than that it’s on the money

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    Mute Charlie Carlisle
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    Jan 27th 2014, 12:46 AM

    Literally none of this hasa anything to do with an Irish Person. Welcome to the 51st State, I guess

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