--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I did not count the days or the weeks or…" description: "\"I did not count the days or the weeks or the months. Time is an illusion that only makes us pant. I survived because I forgot even the very notion of t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b2/yann-martel-395_forgot_i-did-not-count-the-days-or-the-weeks-or_474210.jpg" --- # I did not count the days or the weeks or the months. Time… ![“I did not count the days or the weeks or the months. Time is an illusion that only makes us pant. I survived because I forgot even the very notion of time.” quote by Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b2/yann-martel-395_forgot_i-did-not-count-the-days-or-the-weeks-or_474210.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b2/yann-martel-395_forgot_i-did-not-count-the-days-or-the-weeks-or_474210.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b2/yann-martel-395_forgot_i-did-not-count-the-days-or-the-weeks-or_474210.jpg) > “I did not count the days or the weeks or the months. Time is an illusion that only makes us pant. I survived because I forgot even the very notion of time.” [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) ## 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 a deceptive construct that can be ignored to survive hardship. **In simple terms:** Ignoring time can help endure suffering. Key Takeaway Detach from time to focus on present survival. Themes philosophy survival mindfulness Mood contemplative resilient Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - stressful periods - trauma recovery - meditation practice Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does ignoring time affect long‑term goals? - Can mindfulness replace the need to “forget” time? A Different Perspective Time still governs many aspects of life. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Illusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusion/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/) ## Related quotes > [“Time is an illusion that only makes us pant. I survived because I forgot even the very notion of time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/time-is-an-illusion-that-only-makes-us-pant-i-survived-because-i-2/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Time is an illusion that only makes us pant. I survived because I forgot even the very notion of time." Page 212.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/time-is-an-illusion-that-only-makes-us-pant-i-survived-because-i/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Time is an illusion that only makes us pant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/time-is-an-illusion-that-only-makes-us-pant/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [Time is an illusion that makes us all pant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/time-is-an-illusion-that-makes-us-all-pant/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Sometimes I think I won't ever feel safe until I can count my last days on one hand. Three more days to get through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/sometimes-i-think-i-won-t-ever-feel-safe-until-i-can-count-my-last/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [I use to count the days with you, but now I just subtract them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logic/i-use-to-count-the-days-with-you-but-now-i-just-subtract-them/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logic/) > [Sometimes we're all too quick to count down the days that we forget to make the days count...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/sometimes-we-re-all-too-quick-to-count-down-the-days-that-we-forget/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Without faith we count down the days to death, with it we count up the days till happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lowery/without-faith-we-count-down-the-days-to-death-with-it-we-count-up-the/) Andrew Lowery > [But what are years, what are months!" he would exclaim. 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And in understanding something, we bring something to it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/the-word-isn-t-just-the-way-it-is-it-is-how-we-understand-it-no-and/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Remember that your days on this earth are counted and you might as well make the best of those you have left.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/remember-that-your-days-on-this-earth-are-counted-and-you-might-as/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“I must say a word about fear. It's is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. 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But be excessively reasonable and you risk throwing out the universe with the bathwater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/nothing-beats-reason-for-keeping-tigers-away-but-be-excessively/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Uvek ima onih koji uzmu za pravo da brane Boga, kao da je Poslednja stvarnost, kao da je temeljni ram postojanja nešto slabašno i…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/uvek-ima-onih-koji-uzmu-za-pravo-da-brane-boga-kao-da-je-poslednja/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“The reason death sticks so closely to life isn't biological necessity- its envy. 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I forgot I only exist when you need something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/oh-i-am-sorry-i-forgot-i-only-exist-when-you-need-something/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I forgot to breathe when I saw you; I think I love you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-forgot-to-breathe-when-i-saw-you-i-think-i-love-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But today I felt different, today I forgot how long it takes to get into the skin of a character and I remembered it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estelle-parsons/but-today-i-felt-different-today-i-forgot-how-long-it-takes-to-get/) [Estelle Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/estelle-parsons/) > [It might seem like the hardest thing to do, but you have to forget the person who forgot about you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanya-bianco/it-might-seem-like-the-hardest-thing-to-do-but-you-have-to-forget-the/) [Tanya Bianco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanya-bianco/) > [I can't believe you haven't finished the thing I forgot to tell you to start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-can-t-believe-you-haven-t-finished-the-thing-i-forgot-to-tell-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What is up,you never look down. What is down, you never look up. But you forgot there is always something missing,the missing piece that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-cliff/what-is-up-you-never-look-down-what-is-down-you-never-look-up-but-you/) Ricky Cliff > [Kid is talking to his friend. Kid:OMG OMG OMGOMG!!!!!!!!!! Friend: What? Kid: I forgot. Friend: Damnit!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/kid-is-talking-to-his-friend-kid-omg-omg-omgomg-friend-what-kid-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She was surprised that her hands had not forgotten, that somewhere in her mind, after a year of darkness and slavery, music was still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/she-was-surprised-that-her-hands-had-not-forgotten-that-somewhere-in/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [I thought I forgot you, but I guess I forgot to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-thought-i-forgot-you-but-i-guess-i-forgot-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sometimes, when I was looking out for my own happiness, I almost forgot you existed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-gibbons/sometimes-when-i-was-looking-out-for-my-own-happiness-i-almost-forgot/) [Alan Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-gibbons/) > [“God's forgot that ever I lived... He's forgot...and He never cared, nohow…" He smoothed her brown, rough-palmed hand; he held her hands to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-miller/god-s-forgot-that-ever-i-lived-he-s-forgot-and-he-never-cared-nohow/) Caroline Miller Browse all 602 Forgot quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I did not count the days or the weeks or the months. 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