--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Oh! how the hours hasten to change into…" description: "\"Oh! how the hours hasten to change into days, the days into months, the months into years, and those into life's annihilation!\" — Muhammad Ali" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/muhammad-ali-386_annihilation_oh-how-the-hours-hasten-to-change-into-d_1279055.jpg" --- # Oh! how the hours hasten to change into days, the days… ![“Oh! how the hours hasten to change into days, the days into months, the months into years, and those into life's annihilation!” quote by Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/muhammad-ali-386_annihilation_oh-how-the-hours-hasten-to-change-into-d_1279055.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/muhammad-ali-386_annihilation_oh-how-the-hours-hasten-to-change-into-d_1279055.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/muhammad-ali-386_annihilation_oh-how-the-hours-hasten-to-change-into-d_1279055.jpg) > “Oh! how the hours hasten to change into days, the days into months, the months into years, and those into life's annihilation!” [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Time accelerates, turning moments into years, ultimately leading to life's end. **In simple terms:** Time passes quickly. Key Takeaway Live fully now. Themes time impermanence mortality Mood reflective urgent Type motivational existential When to use this quote - career planning - personal goals - health decisions - legacy building Key Concepts philosophy existentialism temporal perception Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance urgency with thoughtful planning? - What does “annihilation” mean to you? A Different Perspective The quote may romanticize urgency, ignoring the value of patience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Annihilation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/annihilation/) [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Use your now well now! There is always another day to change something, but all the days we may meet may never be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/use-your-now-well-now-there-is-always-another-day-to-change-something/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) > [Before anyone else, women need to accept that neither does life stop, nor does it change for those few days in a month.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kriti-sanon/before-anyone-else-women-need-to-accept-that-neither-does-life-stop/) [Kriti Sanon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kriti-sanon/) > [Nothing may change in days or in years or all can change in hours and in seconds! Knowing this means that you already know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/nothing-may-change-in-days-or-in-years-or-all-can-change-in-hours-and/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [When you have kids, you can choose to make them like you, or become like them, and if you've got something that's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jez-butterworth/when-you-have-kids-you-can-choose-to-make-them-like-you-or-become/) [Jez Butterworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jez-butterworth/) > [“But it's enough, just having this day. It's the knowing there's something different, something special up there waiting. It's the knowing you could choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-babbitt/but-it-s-enough-just-having-this-day-it-s-the-knowing-there-s/) [Natalie Babbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-babbitt/) > [Five days or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/five-days-or-five-months-but-it-certainly-isn-t-going-to-last-longer/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [You can spend minutes hours days months even years thinking what could or what can happen or you can just leave it how it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-spend-minutes-hours-days-months-even-years-thinking-what/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's like this: The time between having an idea and its public launch is measured in days not months, weeks not years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-bray/it-s-like-this-the-time-between-having-an-idea-and-its-public-launch/) [Tim Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-bray/) > [This is days and days and months and years and all the minutes in between, just you me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paullina-simons/this-is-days-and-days-and-months-and-years-and-all-the-minutes-in/) [Paullina Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paullina-simons/) > [Learn, he says, that there will be hours, days and months ahead of feeling absolutely terrible and nothing can change that; neither new girlfriends,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/learn-he-says-that-there-will-be-hours-days-and-months-ahead-of/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“Days and months are the travellers of eternity. So”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/days-and-months-are-the-travellers-of-eternity-so/) [Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/) > [Hours and days and months and years go by; the past returns no more, and what is to be we cannot know; but whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/hours-and-days-and-months-and-years-go-by-the-past-returns-no-more/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [I tell my students, if you are going to spend days and months and years with someone, you had better like that person!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-nagel/i-tell-my-students-if-you-are-going-to-spend-days-and-months-and/) Susan Nagel > [Try to say nothing negative about anybody for three days, for forty-five days, for three months. See what happens to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/try-to-say-nothing-negative-about-anybody-for-three-days-for-forty/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [“Try to say nothing negative about anybody. a) for three days b) for forty-five days c) for three months See what happens to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/try-to-say-nothing-negative-about-anybody-a-for-three-days-b-for/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) ## More by Muhammad Ali > [There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-are-more-pleasant-things-to-do-than-beat-up-people/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I've never let anyone talk me into not believing in myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-ve-never-let-anyone-talk-me-into-not-believing-in-myself/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I'm too fast. I'm too smart. I'm too pretty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-m-too-fast-i-m-too-smart-i-m-too-pretty/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I don't count my sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting. That is when I start counting, because then it really counts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-don-t-count-my-sit-ups-i-only-start-counting-when-it-starts-hurting/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I said a lot of things in the heat of the moment that I shouldn't have said. Called him names I shouldn't have called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-said-a-lot-of-things-in-the-heat-of-the-moment-that-i-shouldn-t/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Many people are quick to say that we are not recognized by Muslims in the East . And I start with the Honorable Elijah…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/many-people-are-quick-to-say-that-we-are-not-recognized-by-muslims-in/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I have been so great in boxing they had to create an image like Rocky, a white image on the screen, to counteract my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-have-been-so-great-in-boxing-they-had-to-create-an-image-like-rocky/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Money and riches don't mean nothing to me. I don't care nothing about being no rich individual. I'm not living for glory or for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/money-and-riches-don-t-mean-nothing-to-me-i-don-t-care-nothing-about/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Allah is the Greatest. I'm just the greatest boxer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/allah-is-the-greatest-i-m-just-the-greatest-boxer/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [My wealth is in my knowledge of self, love, and spirituality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/my-wealth-is-in-my-knowledge-of-self-love-and-spirituality/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [We followed the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, who is the boss. And we don't waste a lot of time arguin' about a dead black man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/we-followed-the-honorable-elijah-mohammed-who-is-the-boss-and-we-don/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I'm gonna have to be killed before I lose, and I ain't going to die easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-m-gonna-have-to-be-killed-before-i-lose-and-i-ain-t-going-to-die/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [If some black man go out and start something, a riot or something or, I'm not going to jump in it and get killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/if-some-black-man-go-out-and-start-something-a-riot-or-something-or-i/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [If you want to be equal with me, you can get your own Rolls-Royce, your own house and your own million dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/if-you-want-to-be-equal-with-me-you-can-get-your-own-rolls-royce-your/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) [Explore all 609 Muhammad Ali quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) ## More Annihilation quotes > [The heart that breaks open can contain the whole universe... All is registered in the 'boundless heart' of the bodhisattva. Through our deepest and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-macy/the-heart-that-breaks-open-can-contain-the-whole-universe-all-is/) [Joanna Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-macy/) > [The highest ideal of cure is the rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of health; that is, the lifting and annihilation of the disease in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-hahnemann/the-highest-ideal-of-cure-is-the-rapid-gentle-and-permanent/) [Samuel Hahnemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-hahnemann/) > [To fight is to face death once more, perhaps the total annihilation of their kind. But to run... is that not also a kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/to-fight-is-to-face-death-once-more-perhaps-the-total-annihilation-of/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [I'm not afraid of anything other than spiritual annihilation. Where your soul is sucked into the void.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispian-mills/i-m-not-afraid-of-anything-other-than-spiritual-annihilation-where/) Crispian Mills > [“The breath had become as much a trick as breathing. Things were not dual merely, but multiple. I had become a cage of mirrors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-breath-had-become-as-much-a-trick-as-breathing-things-were-not/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [There were days when she was unhappy, she did not know why,--when it did not seem worthwhile to be glad or sorry, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/there-were-days-when-she-was-unhappy-she-did-not-know-why-when-it-did/) [Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/) > [I've crossed some kind of invisible line. I feel as if I've come to a place I never thought I'd have to come to.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/i-ve-crossed-some-kind-of-invisible-line-i-feel-as-if-i-ve-come-to-a/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [We travel together, passengers on a little spaceship, dependent on it's vulnerable reserves of air and soil, all committed, for our safety, to it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adlai-e-stevenson/we-travel-together-passengers-on-a-little-spaceship-dependent-on-it-s/) [Adlai E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adlai-e-stevenson/) > [Liberty is to faction, what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be a less folly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/liberty-is-to-faction-what-air-is-to-fire-an-aliment-without-which-it/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Today I will once more be a prophet. If the international Jewish financiers, inside and outside Europe, succeed in plunging the nations once more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/today-i-will-once-more-be-a-prophet-if-the-international-jewish/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [“The edge of total annihilation wasn't the worst place to hide.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-rocha/the-edge-of-total-annihilation-wasn-t-the-worst-place-to-hide/) [Kit Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-rocha/) > [To hope is to give yourself to the future - and that commitment to the future is what makes the present inhabitable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/to-hope-is-to-give-yourself-to-the-future-and-that-commitment-to-the/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [Annihilation is an absurdity in terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-palissy/annihilation-is-an-absurdity-in-terms/) Bernard Palissy > [Love is scary because it pulls you in with an intense force, a supermassive black hole which looks like nothing from the outside but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/love-is-scary-because-it-pulls-you-in-with-an-intense-force-a/) [Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/) > [I have issued the command, and I'll have anybody who utters but one word of criticism executed by a firing squad, that our war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-have-issued-the-command-and-i-ll-have-anybody-who-utters-but-one/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) [Browse all 244 Annihilation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/annihilation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Oh! how the hours hasten to change into days, the days into months, the months into years, and those into life's annihilation!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Muhammad Ali" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/oh-how-the-hours-hasten-to-change-into-days-the-days-into-months-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Annihilation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/oh-how-the-hours-hasten-to-change-into-days-the-days-into-months-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/muhammad-ali-386_annihilation_oh-how-the-hours-hasten-to-change-into-d_1279055.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/muhammad-ali-386_annihilation_oh-how-the-hours-hasten-to-change-into-d_1279055.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/muhammad-ali-386_annihilation_oh-how-the-hours-hasten-to-change-into-d_1279055.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Oh! how the hours hasten to change into days, the days into months, the months into years, and those into…” — Muhammad Ali", "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": "Muhammad Ali", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Oh! how the hours hasten to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/oh-how-the-hours-hasten-to-change-into-days-the-days-into-months-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/oh-how-the-hours-hasten-to-change-into-days-the-days-into-months-the/#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 } } ] } ```