It was well said–by Jean Tarrou in The Plague, I think–that attendance at lectures in an unknown language will help to hone one's awareness of the exceedingly slow passage of time. I once had the experience of being 'waterboarded' and can now dimly appreciate how much every second counts in the experience of the torture victim, forced to go on enduring what is unendurable. Christopher Hitchens
About This Quote

In the movie "The English Patient," a character is waterboarded, a form of torture in which a large water-filled cloth covers the victim's face and is secured with a tight belt. The victim is made to struggle for hours or days against the weight of the water. I can well understand how this experience would change how you view the passage of time. In this quote, Jean Tarrou is indicating that experiencing something similar to waterboarding might help you appreciate how much every second counts.

Many people throw their lives away by assuming they will live long enough to achieve all of their dreams. When waterboarding victims experience time in slow motion, it gives them a glimpse of what life is really like when you have limited time on earth.

Source: Hitch22: A Memoir

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