"Three o'clock is always too late or too early for anything you want to do"

Time can often feel like an adversary, its rhythm indifferent to human desires and intentions. Sartre’s observation about three o’clock, whether in the morning or afternoon, captures this disconnect with remarkable succinctness. At three o’clock, the day sits awkwardly between beginnings and endings, refusing to align itself conveniently with the natural rhythms of ambition, inspiration, or even rest.

Imagine three o’clock in the afternoon. The morning’s energy, with its freshness and sense of limitless possibility, has waned. It is too late to start significant new projects, to embark on journeys, or to make life-changing resolutions. The moment for initiating action feels past; the day has shifted toward winding down, toward obligations and responsibilities that tend to accumulate as sunset approaches. Conversely, it is too early for closure, indulgence, or relaxation. The day’s work still calls, deadlines and duties demand attention, and the escape into evening leisure or rest remains just out of reach.

At three in the morning, the absurdity is even more pronounced. Night’s stillness is enveloping, the world is silent, and any attempts at productivity or joy are confronted by fatigue and solitude. It is neither the tail end of night, suitable for dreamless sleep, nor the breathless moment of dawn, brimming with promise. The hour resists direction and purpose. Whatever one might wish to do, create, resolve, connect, or simply be, three o’clock refuses to cooperate. Both demoralizing and comic, the time stands as a symbol for moments in life when personal desire cannot penetrate the immovable structure of existence.

Sartre’s line evokes the existentialist conviction that time, like meaning itself, does not adjust to suit human plans. Often, our moments of urge and inspiration do not coincide with the world’s slow, impartial flow. The result is irony, sometimes even despair, but also an invitation to face the world’s indifference with self-awareness and resolve.