---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Time came slowly and passed slowly, so…"
description: "\"“Time came slowly and passed slowly, so leisurely that at times he could swear it had stealthily doubled back on itself.”\" — Haruki Murakami"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94e/haruki-murakami-21_clock_time-came-slowly-and-passed-slowly-so-le_804511.jpg"
---

#  Time came slowly and passed slowly, so leisurely that at…

![“Time came slowly and passed slowly, so leisurely that at times he could swear it had stealthily doubled back on itself.” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94e/haruki-murakami-21_clock_time-came-slowly-and-passed-slowly-so-le_804511.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94e/haruki-murakami-21_clock_time-came-slowly-and-passed-slowly-so-le_804511.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94e/haruki-murakami-21_clock_time-came-slowly-and-passed-slowly-so-le_804511.jpg)

> ““Time came slowly and passed slowly, so leisurely that at times he could swear it had stealthily doubled back on itself.””

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

## About This Quote

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

Time can feel both sluggish and swift, creating a paradox where moments seem to stretch and compress simultaneously.

**In simple terms:** Time feels both slow and fast.

Key Takeaway

Accept time's fluidity.

Themes

perception temporal paradox mindfulness

Mood

contemplative melancholy

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- creative work
- meditation
- travel
- waiting rooms

Key Concepts

subjective time psychology of experience

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your perception of time affect your actions?
- Can you harness this paradox for creativity?

A Different Perspective

Subjective time can distort planning and urgency.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/)

## Related quotes

> [Time passed so much more slowly than space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/time-passed-so-much-more-slowly-than-space/)

[Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/)

> [The afternoon passed more slowly than a walnut-sized kidney stone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-afternoon-passed-more-slowly-than-a-walnut-sized-kidney-stone/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

> [“apparently time passed slowly when you were waiting for the end of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-hayes/apparently-time-passed-slowly-when-you-were-waiting-for-the-end-of/)

[terry hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-hayes/)

> [“After four hours I passed slowly from the country of 'nine-fingered people and prepare to meet thy God' into the drive-ins and motels and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dickey/after-four-hours-i-passed-slowly-from-the-country-of-nine-fingered/)

[James Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dickey/)

> [Time passed slowly, like and old man climbing a hill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/time-passed-slowly-like-and-old-man-climbing-a-hill/)

[Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/)

> [“The hours passed by slowly, as they always did when you were counting them down”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-frank/the-hours-passed-by-slowly-as-they-always-did-when-you-were-counting/)

[Ella Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-frank/)

> [The winter passed as slowly and peacefully as a boa constrictor digesting a valium addict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-winter-passed-as-slowly-and-peacefully-as-a-boa-constrictor/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

> [Honestly, there was a time after I came out that I really did not think I would be working again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-matarazzo/honestly-there-was-a-time-after-i-came-out-that-i-really-did-not/)

[Heather Matarazzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-matarazzo/)

> [When the time came to move forward, don't even think about to look at back for even a second!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/when-the-time-came-to-move-forward-don-t-even-think-about-to-look-at/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [“Time could heal, but it wouldn't make wrongs go away. Time came back like a reminder. Time folded with memory. In a moment, everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-tei-yamashita/time-could-heal-but-it-wouldn-t-make-wrongs-go-away-time-came-back/)

[Karen Tei Yamashita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-tei-yamashita/)

> [Reality a clock showing always now. An event which has created us to create lands of living today in the cells of time we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-fulger/reality-a-clock-showing-always-now-an-event-which-has-created-us-to/)

[Mariana Fulger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-fulger/)

> [By the time I came out of college, I was fabulous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cox/by-the-time-i-came-out-of-college-i-was-fabulous/)

[Patrick Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cox/)

> [I guess when time came to make 'To The 5 Boroughs,' we had something important to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-d/i-guess-when-time-came-to-make-to-the-5-boroughs-we-had-something/)

[Mike D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-d/)

> [One day One day I waited for myself I said to myself Guillaume it's time you came So I could know just who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillaume-apollinaire/one-day-one-day-i-waited-for-myself-i-said-to-myself-guillaume-it-s/)

[Guillaume Apollinaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillaume-apollinaire/)

> [“Time takes no holiday. It does not roll idly by, but through our senses works its own wonders in the mind. Time came and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/time-takes-no-holiday-it-does-not-roll-idly-by-but-through-our-senses/)

[Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/)

## More by Haruki Murakami

> [I always feel like I'm struggling to become someone else. Like I'm trying to find a new place, grab hold of a new life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-always-feel-like-i-m-struggling-to-become-someone-else-like-i-m/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-writing-novels-is-like-planting-a-forest-then-writing-short/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“The sad truth is that what I could recall in five seconds all too soon needed ten, then thirty, thena full minute...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sad-truth-is-that-what-i-could-recall-in-five-seconds-all-too/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“Intelligent teenage girls were often instinctively theatrical, purposely eccentric, mouthing highly suggestive words to confuse people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/intelligent-teenage-girls-were-often-instinctively-theatrical/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [Memory is like fiction; or else it's fiction that's like memory. This really came home to me once I started writing fiction, that memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/memory-is-like-fiction-or-else-it-s-fiction-that-s-like-memory-this/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [If you listen to the radio for a whole hour there's maybe one decent song. The rest is mass-produced garbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-you-listen-to-the-radio-for-a-whole-hour-there-s-maybe-one-decent/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-one-of-our-problems-was-our-inability-to-recognize-and-accept/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“When I look back at myself at age twenty, what I remember most is being alone and lonely. I had no girlfriend to warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-look-back-at-myself-at-age-twenty-what-i-remember-most-is/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“One by one, I'll face the tasks before me and complete them as best I can. Focusing on each stride forward, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/one-by-one-i-ll-face-the-tasks-before-me-and-complete-them-as-best-i/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“Eleven o'clock had come and gone. I had to find a way to bring this conversation to a successful conclusion and get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/eleven-o-clock-had-come-and-gone-i-had-to-find-a-way-to-bring-this/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“Some people get a kick out of reading railway timetables and that's all they do all day. Some people make huge model boats out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/some-people-get-a-kick-out-of-reading-railway-timetables-and-that-s/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“When the time comes, everybody’s got to end up where they belong. Only me, I didn’t have a place to call my own. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-the-time-comes-everybody-s-got-to-end-up-where-they-belong-only/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“You let something out of the bag before yourself knew what it was all about”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-let-something-out-of-the-bag-before-yourself-knew-what-it-was-all/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

[Explore all 2,928 Haruki Murakami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

## More Clock quotes

> [Even Einstein had to rely for his time on his clock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/even-einstein-had-to-rely-for-his-time-on-his-clock/)

[Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/)

> [“Time was never neutral and often felt dangerous. We either think we have all the time in the world or time moves too fast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-reay/time-was-never-neutral-and-often-felt-dangerous-we-either-think-we/)

[Katherine Reay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-reay/)

> [Before a clock was in the tower, Or e'er a watch was worn; I knew of night the passing hour, And prophesied the morn;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-a-clock-was-in-the-tower-or-e-er-a-watch-was-worn-i-knew-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A clock struck out the hour of twelve, and the bird in the hedgerow was still singing as we marched out to the roadway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macgill/a-clock-struck-out-the-hour-of-twelve-and-the-bird-in-the-hedgerow/)

[Patrick MacGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macgill/)

> [“Time is, to put it in its most impressive and some might say poncy-sounding form, my domain. I can see things that once happened,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-rayner/time-is-to-put-it-in-its-most-impressive-and-some-might-say-poncy/)

[Jacqueline Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-rayner/)

> [Time travel offends our sense of cause and effect - but maybe the universe doesn't insist on cause and effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-m-lerner/time-travel-offends-our-sense-of-cause-and-effect-but-maybe-the/)

[Edward M. Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-m-lerner/)

> [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/)

[Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/)

> [Time.The greatest creator, and the worst destroyer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levi-keely/time-the-greatest-creator-and-the-worst-destroyer/)

Levi Keely

> [Steven Spielberg seems to have wanted to be a director from 13. He put his dog in a certain position and made him eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/steven-spielberg-seems-to-have-wanted-to-be-a-director-from-13-he-put/)

[Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/)

> [No life goes past so swiftly as an eventless one, no clock spins like a clock whose days are all alike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/no-life-goes-past-so-swiftly-as-an-eventless-one-no-clock-spins-like/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [Those who stop marketing to save money are like those who stop a clock to save time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/those-who-stop-marketing-to-save-money-are-like-those-who-stop-a/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [Time is the nervous system of narration, whether factual or fictive. If it gets confused some of the minutiae of human nature are certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenway-wescott/time-is-the-nervous-system-of-narration-whether-factual-or-fictive-if/)

[Glenway Wescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenway-wescott/)

> [I don't know if it's just me or everyone, but the whole vibe with skiing is not so much thriving on competition against others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/picabo-street/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-just-me-or-everyone-but-the-whole-vibe-with/)

[Picabo Street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/picabo-street/)

> [Time goes on, even when yer not looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/time-goes-on-even-when-yer-not-looking/)

[Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/)

> [CLOCK, n. A machine of great moral value to man, allaying his concern for the future by reminding him what a lot of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/clock-n-a-machine-of-great-moral-value-to-man-allaying-his-concern/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

[Browse all 2,738 Clock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Time came slowly and passed slowly, so leisurely that at times he could swear it had stealthily doubled back on itself.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Haruki Murakami"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/time-came-slowly-and-passed-slowly-so-leisurely-that-at-times-he/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Clock"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/time-came-slowly-and-passed-slowly-so-leisurely-that-at-times-he/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94e/haruki-murakami-21_clock_time-came-slowly-and-passed-slowly-so-le_804511.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94e/haruki-murakami-21_clock_time-came-slowly-and-passed-slowly-so-le_804511.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94e/haruki-murakami-21_clock_time-came-slowly-and-passed-slowly-so-le_804511.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Time came slowly and passed slowly, so leisurely that at times he could swear it had stealthily doubled back…” — Haruki Murakami",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Haruki Murakami",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Time came slowly and passed slowly,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/time-came-slowly-and-passed-slowly-so-leisurely-that-at-times-he/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/time-came-slowly-and-passed-slowly-so-leisurely-that-at-times-he/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
