What I find interesting about the paradox is its relation to anxiety.
Quoting Wikipedia:
"Anxiety is an emotion characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil, often accompanied by nervous behaviour such as pacing back and forth, somatic complaints, and rumination. It is the subjectively unpleasant feelings of dread over anticipated events, such as the feeling of imminent death." [1]
As well as -perhaps even more so- depression.
The expected outcome has a related effect on the psyche, but the fact is that in reality the prisoner has no effect on their death. Which means that the most useful way to deal with your last days (how many they are) is akin to the principles of carpe diem. [2] Which is something both anxiety and depression hamper.
Quoting Wikipedia:
"Anxiety is an emotion characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil, often accompanied by nervous behaviour such as pacing back and forth, somatic complaints, and rumination. It is the subjectively unpleasant feelings of dread over anticipated events, such as the feeling of imminent death." [1]
As well as -perhaps even more so- depression.
The expected outcome has a related effect on the psyche, but the fact is that in reality the prisoner has no effect on their death. Which means that the most useful way to deal with your last days (how many they are) is akin to the principles of carpe diem. [2] Which is something both anxiety and depression hamper.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anxiety
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpe_diem