--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Five weeks in the hospital fled as if…" description: "\"“Five weeks in the hospital fled as if down a sinkhole into the middle of the earth. ... Can waiting by definition slow, flash by? ... Time becomes eve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/diane-ackerman-1035_clock_five-weeks-in-the-hospital-fled-as-if-do_1556268.jpg" --- # Five weeks in the hospital fled as if down a sinkhole into… ![“Five weeks in the hospital fled as if down a sinkhole into the middle of the earth. ... Can waiting by definition slow, flash by? ... Time becomes even more elastic than usual--minutes can stretch for ages and days suddenly snap together. [p. 97]” quote by Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/diane-ackerman-1035_clock_five-weeks-in-the-hospital-fled-as-if-do_1556268.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/diane-ackerman-1035_clock_five-weeks-in-the-hospital-fled-as-if-do_1556268.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/diane-ackerman-1035_clock_five-weeks-in-the-hospital-fled-as-if-do_1556268.jpg) > ““Five weeks in the hospital fled as if down a sinkhole into the middle of the earth. ... Can waiting by definition slow, flash by? ... Time becomes even more elastic than usual--minutes can stretch for ages and days suddenly snap together. \[p. 97\]”” [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Time feels elastic under extreme stress, stretching minutes into ages and compressing days, showing how perception of time is subjective. **In simple terms:** Stress warps our sense of time. Key Takeaway Notice how stress changes your time perception. Themes psychology time perception stress Mood thoughtful introspective Type observational reflective When to use this quote - hospital stays - high‑pressure jobs - creative deadlines - trauma recovery Key Concepts subjective time elasticity psychological coping Questions to Reflect On - How does stress alter your sense of urgency? - Can you use this awareness to manage deadlines better? A Different Perspective Subjective time may differ from objective measures, causing planning challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illness/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [“It is only that every day one grows a little, every day something is different, so that in the heaping up of days suddenly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/it-is-only-that-every-day-one-grows-a-little-every-day-something-is/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [Do the small things. 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