Good Timing

paradox a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true

It is thought that time passes quickly during moments of happiness and that it seems to pass slowly when stress is present. Most clocks, on Earth, nevertheless measure time as consistent and dependable regardless of conditions.

A passenger looking out of a window in a car or a train might notice telephone poles or fenceposts whizzing by alongside the road or the tracks, almost in a blur. In the far distance, however, features such as hills, forest, and landmarks, seem to be moving slowly in contrast to the speed of the vehicle.

A rowboat propelled slowly along a river will present a similar situation. To the viewer the riverbank will appear to be sliding past slowly in the near distance, but objects on land in the far distance will appear almost to be standing still, but not quite.

A person walking on a path and looking to the left or to the right will notice nearby objects moving past at the same rate as the walker going forward. The far distant scene seems almost immobile.

The car, train, telephone poles, fenceposts, and distant features are being passed at the same rate of speed regardless of the illusion of differing motion.The same goes for the rowboat and the person walking. What the senses perceive is not always accurate.

Have you noticed that in snapshots taken from the window of a speeding car (depending on the camera) the foreground is a blur but the background is clear, or almost so? Have you felt uncomfortable in a fast moving car until you looked off into the stable distance? Have you given thought to the characteristics of time? Will you look from a moving vehicle's window with new insight?

Daniel Webster said

There is nothing so powerful as truth - and often nothing so strange.