First time Quote by Rupert Thomson
““Sometimes it seemed as if he'd always been very old. People said that time lasted for ever when you were young. That was lies. Lies and rosy spectacles. His spectacles were steel frames and time was those tattoos on Vasco's arm. They were more like time than anything else. Once, in the Empire of Junk, he'd seen an hour-glass. Now that came closest to the truth. Except you could turn it upside down and start again. So that was lies too. The sand should run out the first time, run right out. Once, and once only. Time wasn't outside you, it was inside. [...] Time was something that went bad, like fruit. To be used before it was all used up. Though, for most people, the only way to live was to deny that.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Book of Revelation, Rupert Thomson, 2015
Time is internal, mutable, and finite; perceiving it as a consumable resource urges us to live fully before it depletes.
In simple terms: Time lives inside us and runs out.
Key Takeaway
Treat each moment as a limited, valuable resource.
Themes
time
mortality
self‑awareness
Mood
contemplative
urgent
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- daily routines
- long‑term planning
- health decisions
- personal relationships
Key Concepts
existentialism
temporal perception
impermanence
Questions to Reflect On
- How does viewing time as internal change your priorities?
- What actions reflect respect for your limited time?
A Different Perspective
Focusing on scarcity can cause anxiety and neglect of present joy.
