--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was well said—by Jean Tarrou in The…" description: "\"“It was well said—by Jean Tarrou in The Plague, I think—that attendance at lectures in an unknown language will help to hone one's awareness of the exc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/christopher-hitchens-117_every-second_it-was-well-said-by-jean-tarrou-in-the-p_1439698.jpg" --- # It was well said—by Jean Tarrou in The Plague, I… ![“It was well said—by Jean Tarrou in The Plague, I think—that attendance at lectures in an unknown language will help to hone one's awareness of the exceedingly slow passage of time. I once had the experience of being 'waterboarded' and can now dimly appreciate how much every second counts in the…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/christopher-hitchens-117_every-second_it-was-well-said-by-jean-tarrou-in-the-p_1439698.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/christopher-hitchens-117_every-second_it-was-well-said-by-jean-tarrou-in-the-p_1439698.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/christopher-hitchens-117_every-second_it-was-well-said-by-jean-tarrou-in-the-p_1439698.jpg) > ““It was well said—by Jean Tarrou in The Plague, I think—that attendance at lectures in an unknown language will help to hone one's awareness of the exceedingly slow passage of time. I once had the experience of being 'waterboarded' and can now dimly appreciate how much every second counts in the experience of the torture victim, forced to go on enduring what is unendurable.”” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects on how confronting extreme suffering sharpens our perception of time, making each moment feel more valuable and urgent. **In simple terms:** Suffering makes us value time more. Key Takeaway Recognize the preciousness of each second. Themes time awareness ufferinguffering perspective Mood reflective somber thoughtful Type philosophical literary personal When to use this quote - medical training - legal testimony - personal trauma counseling - human rights advocacy Key Concepts existentialism human condition psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does confronting hardship change your view of daily life? - What practices help you stay present without trauma? A Different Perspective The analogy may overgeneralize personal trauma to broader experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lectures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lectures/) [Passage of time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passage-of-time/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Torture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torture/) ## Related quotes > [“One should not chug an entire glass of wine at an elegant dinner party. 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The first experience of torture gives an understanding of the pleasure in tormenting others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/evil-spawns-evil-the-first-experience-of-torture-gives-an/) [Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/) > [I've been water-boarded, and I speak from experience, and it's torture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/i-ve-been-water-boarded-and-i-speak-from-experience-and-it-s-torture/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [There's been a lot of experience with torture in history. It doesn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/there-s-been-a-lot-of-experience-with-torture-in-history-it-doesn-t/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [“But no, what interested him, psychologically speaking, was the sense of continuity itself, the mind's insistence that this was the same Regan he'd known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-risk-hallberg/but-no-what-interested-him-psychologically-speaking-was-the-sense-of/) [Garth Risk Hallberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-risk-hallberg/) > [“The hardest thing to accept about the passage of time is that the people who mattered most to us are all wrapped up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-hardest-thing-to-accept-about-the-passage-of-time-is-that-the/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Young people have to learn in a cocoon filled with false optimism. 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