--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What an unreliable thing is time--when I…" description: "\"What an unreliable thing is time--when I want it to fly, the hours stick to me like glue. And what a changeable thing, too. Time is the twine to tie ou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/rohinton-mistry-4393_band_what-an-unreliable-thing-is-time-when-i_3089109.png" --- # What an unreliable thing is time--when I want it to fly… ![“What an unreliable thing is time--when I want it to fly, the hours stick to me like glue. And what a changeable thing, too. Time is the twine to tie our lives into parcels of years and months. Or a rubber band stretched to suit our fancy. Time can be the pretty ribbon in a little girl's hair. Or…” quote by Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/rohinton-mistry-4393_band_what-an-unreliable-thing-is-time-when-i_3089109.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/rohinton-mistry-4393_band_what-an-unreliable-thing-is-time-when-i_3089109.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/rohinton-mistry-4393_band_what-an-unreliable-thing-is-time-when-i_3089109.png) > “What an unreliable thing is time--when I want it to fly, the hours stick to me like glue. And what a changeable thing, too. Time is the twine to tie our lives into parcels of years and months. Or a rubber band stretched to suit our fancy. Time can be the pretty ribbon in a little girl's hair. Or the lines in your face, stealing your youthful colour and your hair. … But in the end, time is a noose around the neck, strangling slowly.” [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Time is portrayed as both fluid and oppressive, shaping lives like a ribbon or a noose, highlighting its dual nature of beauty and inevitability. **In simple terms:** Time can be gentle or crushing. Key Takeaway Recognize time’s power and its limits. Themes impermanence control human experience Mood melancholic thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - aging - career planning - personal reflection Key Concepts temporal perception life cycles psychological impact Questions to Reflect On - How do you experience time’s gentle side? - When does time feel like a constraint? A Different Perspective Time’s metaphor may oversimplify complex experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Colour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colour/) [End times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-times/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hair/) [Ties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ties/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [ Being overly identified with \[a certain period of time\] becomes a noose around your neck, and people don't want you to grow up, they… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/being-overly-identified-with-a-certain-period-of-time-becomes-a-noose/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [“My genes, my love, are rubber bands and rope - make yourself a structure you can live inside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/my-genes-my-love-are-rubber-bands-and-rope-make-yourself-a-structure/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [“He glances down and notices that I'm still wearing a certain blue something, and, this time, it's HIS index finger that wraps underneath MY…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-perkins/he-glances-down-and-notices-that-i-m-still-wearing-a-certain-blue/) [Stephanie Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-perkins/) > [If your kid makes one of those little homemade guitars out of a cigar box and rubber bands, don't let him just play it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/if-your-kid-makes-one-of-those-little-homemade-guitars-out-of-a-cigar/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Some of the best trades come when everyone gets very panicky. 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