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The mind of man works with strangeness upon the body of…

“The mind of man works with strangeness upon the body of time. An hour, once it lodges in the queer element of the human spirit, may be stretched to fifty or a hundred times its clock length; on the other hand, an hour may be accurately represented by the timepiece of the mind by one second. This…” quote by Virginia Woolf
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““The mind of man works with strangeness upon the body of time. An hour, once it lodges in the queer element of the human spirit, may be stretched to fifty or a hundred times its clock length; on the other hand, an hour may be accurately represented by the timepiece of the mind by one second. This extraordinary discrepancy between time on the clock and time in the mind is less known than it should be, and deserves fuller investigation.””

Virginia Woolf

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Human perception of time is highly subjective, stretching or compressing based on mental focus.

In simple terms: Time feels different depending on our mind.

Key Takeaway

Recognize time’s elasticity.

Themes

perception time subjectivity

Mood

contemplative introspective

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

  • creative work
  • stress management
  • learning
  • travel

Key Concepts

psychology philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does your mind alter your sense of time?
  • Can you use this awareness to improve focus?
A Different Perspective

Subjectivity can distort planning and deadlines.

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