--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As mankind grew obsessed with its hours…" description: "\"As mankind grew obsessed with its hours, the sorrow of lost time became a permanent hole in the human heart. People fretted over missed chances, over i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94c/mitch-albom-187_chance_as-mankind-grew-obsessed-with-its-hours_3128199.png" --- # As mankind grew obsessed with its hours, the sorrow of… ![“As mankind grew obsessed with its hours, the sorrow of lost time became a permanent hole in the human heart. People fretted over missed chances, over inefficient days; they worried constantly about how long they would live, because counting life’s moments had led, inevitably, to counting them…” quote by Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94c/mitch-albom-187_chance_as-mankind-grew-obsessed-with-its-hours_3128199.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94c/mitch-albom-187_chance_as-mankind-grew-obsessed-with-its-hours_3128199.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94c/mitch-albom-187_chance_as-mankind-grew-obsessed-with-its-hours_3128199.png) > “As mankind grew obsessed with its hours, the sorrow of lost time became a permanent hole in the human heart. People fretted over missed chances, over inefficient days; they worried constantly about how long they would live, because counting life’s moments had led, inevitably, to counting them down. Soon, in every nation and in every language, time became the most precious commodity.” [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We obsess over measuring time, turning it into a source of anxiety and regret, losing the ability to savor life. **In simple terms:** Counting time creates sorrow and fear of missing out. Key Takeaway Value moments, not minutes. Themes time anxiety meaning mortality Mood melancholic reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal reflection - life planning - stress management Key Concepts existentialism mindfulness psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does measuring time affect your happiness? - What practices help you live beyond the clock? A Different Perspective If you stop counting, you may miss important deadlines. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Commodity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commodity/) [Counting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counting/) [Grew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Holes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holes/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [Hours Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours-sorrow-5521770/) [Human heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-heart/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Lost time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-time/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Missed chances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missed-chances/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Obsessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsessed/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) [Sorrow Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow-lost-1913965/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Permanent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-permanent-5013453/) [Time Precious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-precious/) [Worried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worried/) ## Related quotes > [“Without Time nothing is possible. 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