Anticipation Quote by Albert Camus
““Whereas during those months of separation time had never gone quickly enough for their liking and they were wanting to speed its flight, now that they were in sight of the town they would have liked to slow it down and hold each moment in suspense, once the breaks went on and the train was entering the station. For the sensation, confused perhaps, but none the less poingant for that, of all those days and weeks and months of life lost to their love made them vaguely feel they were entitled to some compensation; this present hour of joy should run at half the speed of those long hours of waiting.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Stranger, Albert Camus, 1942
The narrator reflects that time feels slow when anticipating joy and fast when experiencing it, highlighting how longing reshapes perception of duration.
In simple terms: Time feels slower when waiting, faster when enjoying.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how desire changes your sense of time.
Themes
time
anticipation
joy
perception
longing
Mood
reflective
nostalgic
contemplative
Type
literary
philosophical
emotional
When to use this quote
- waiting for a loved one
- arriving at a destination
- celebrations after hardship
- moments of reunion
Key Concepts
existentialism
subjective time
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How does anticipation alter your experience of time?
- Do you notice time speeding up during happy moments?
A Different Perspective
The feeling may be romanticized and not reflect actual time passage.
![“[she felt] sorry for herself, for getting older, for being mortal, for all the music she still wanted to hear, the books she intended to read, the places she had meant to visit, the things she had promised herself she'd learn one day [...] and probably never would because time was beginning to…” quote by Francesca Marciano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9c9/francesca-marciano-19543_fitness_she-felt-sorry-for-herself-for-getting-o_1468538.jpg)
![“[It is hard to know what is good luck and what isn't and therefore whether we should be happy or sad about it. Only time will tell. For example...] The Talmud relates a story about two people who wanted to travel by boat. One broke his foot and was unable to make the trip, while his friend got on…” quote by Zelig Pliskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/68d/zelig-pliskin-22951_anticipation_it-is-hard-to-know-what-is-good-luck-and_34545.jpg)
![“The only thing is that ordinarily when I do dance with [women] they think I am suddenly going to throw them over a table or twist them all around. All I want to do is one-two, one-two-three - a simple fox trot. But they're shaking with anticipation at the thought that I'm about to whip them around…” quote by Gene Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/073/gene-kelly-11878_anticipation_the-only-thing-is-that-ordinarily-when-i_44100.jpg)
