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Affection Quote by Aristotle

“Memory is therefore, neither Perception nor Conception, but a state or affection of one of these, conditioned by lapse of time. As already observed, there is no such thing as memory of the present while present, for the present is object only of perception, and the future, of expectation, but the…” quote by Aristotle
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“Memory is therefore, neither Perception nor Conception, but a state or affection of one of these, conditioned by lapse of time. As already observed, there is no such thing as memory of the present while present, for the present is object only of perception, and the future, of expectation, but the object of memory is the past. All memory, therefore, implies a time elapsed; consequently only those animals which perceive time remember, and the organ whereby they perceive time is also that whereby they remember.”

Aristotle

About This Quote

Source Treatise: De Memoria et Sention, Aristotle, 4th century BC

Memory is a mental state formed by past perception, requiring time to pass; only beings that experience time can remember.

In simple terms: Memory stores past impressions, not present ones.

Key Takeaway

Understand that memory depends on time and perception.

Themes

memory time perception

Mood

analytical inquisitive

Type

philosophical educational

When to use this quote

  • learning
  • historical analysis
  • personal reflection
  • neuroscience research

Key Concepts

philosophy cognitive science

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does time affect the accuracy of your memories?
  • What role does perception play in forming memories?
A Different Perspective

Memory can be unreliable and biased.

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