10 short moments that seem like an eternity to us

Time, as Albert Einstein once stated, is relative. Pleasant circumstances pass almost undetected. Just recall how you were engrossed in an intriguing game and felt as if you had spent no more than an hour at the computer, even though virtually the whole day had gone.

On the other hand, negative moments endure a long time, and the more painful they are, the longer they appear. Sometimes, some instances seem to last a lifetime, even though just a few minutes have passed. Most of the time, this is a negative expectation, or vice versa, happy and long-awaited anticipation.

When you pay for a purchase with a card and wait for payment confirmation

It is noticed that the less money is on the card, and the more expensive the purchase, the slower the terminal works and freezes at the moment of authorization. It works incredibly slowly in cases when you are in a hurry or buy the last item, and several others who want to pay for it in cash are behind you.

When you confess your feelings to a girl you like

Most males would testify that when the answer words are said following the words “I love you,” it seems like years have passed. Several choices for the course of events arise in your mind during these seconds, ranging from “I love you too” to “I’m sorry, but you’re only a friend to me.”

When you’re watching the last minutes of a game and your team is ahead

Anyone who enjoys football, hockey, or basketball will relate to the feeling that the last few minutes of a game, when your team is in the lead, seem to go on forever. When the opposition side starts to push aggressively, time stretches out even further, and every second strikes the goal or the ring in an attempt to recuperate. When both teams have the same score, but yours is objectively weaker than the opponents’, they must maintain the goal or ring without handing the opponents an edge.

When you wait for the charging percentage to appear

This is especially noticeable in cases where the charging was flooded with water, and you do not know if it works. It seems as if centuries have passed, whole eras have changed, and only then, instead of 19%, the cherished 20 appeared on the smartphone screen.

When you’re in an elevator with someone you don’t know

In theory, each journey in an elevator with someone develops into an uneasy experience, owing to individuals being too near to one another.

However, while riding with a stranger or an unknown, the elevator nearly comes to a halt, most likely owing to a breach of the comfort zone. You’re awkward and uncomfortable, and you want to escape out of this little cage as soon as possible.

When you’re waiting for a bus, or if you’re running late for work or business

This is particularly true when you need to take a train or a bus. Even when each passing second adds up to a few minutes, the bus still hasn’t arrived. You look at your watch and don’t understand why it’s so late, even when transportation runs on time.

When you see someone typing a message in the messenger

These three dots, which appear in some WhatsApp or Telegram, turn into an eternity. Moreover, a paradox has been noticed: the longer a person writes a message, the higher the likelihood that something like “clear, understandable” will respond.

When the kettle is almost boiling

The time it takes for the kettle to heat up is normal. But as soon as it starts to stagger slightly from the beginning of the boil, it slows down sharply, and until the moment when the button clicks, indicating readiness, it practically stops. It is useless to hang over the kettle and wait for it to finish boiling finally. Better to do other things, so you won’t feel like an eternity has passed.

When you are in a traffic jam

The traffic jam is bad for the driver because he has nothing to distract himself with. After all, you need to constantly monitor the road to press the pedal in time and not let any impudent car get into your lane in front of you.

When you stand inline

There are several options for freezing time in a queue, and perhaps the brightest one is when you want to go to the toilet, but there are still several people in front of you. You count every second and pray to all the gods that the irreparable does not happen in front of everyone present.

Another option is a line at the checkout a few minutes before the store closes. There will always be a pensioner who takes out products from the basket at a rate of one product per minute and then slowly searches for a wallet in the bag, after which, remaining true to his principles, puts the purchased item in the bag in the same way.