---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She wondered how to un-know certain…"
description: "\"“She wondered how to un-know certain things, certain specific things that she knew but did not wish to know. How to un-know, for example, that when peo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/156/arundhati-roy-346_heart_she-wondered-how-to-un-know-certain-thin_866445.png"
---

#  She wondered how to un-know certain things, certain…

![“She wondered how to un-know certain things, certain specific things that she knew but did not wish to know. How to un-know, for example, that when people died of stone-dust, their lungs refused to be cremated.” quote by Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/156/arundhati-roy-346_heart_she-wondered-how-to-un-know-certain-thin_866445.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/156/arundhati-roy-346_heart_she-wondered-how-to-un-know-certain-thin_866445.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/156/arundhati-roy-346_heart_she-wondered-how-to-un-know-certain-thin_866445.png)

> ““She wondered how to un-know certain things, certain specific things that she knew but did not wish to know. How to un-know, for example, that when people died of stone-dust, their lungs refused to be cremated.””

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People sometimes wish to erase painful knowledge, but confronting truth is unavoidable and necessary.

**In simple terms:** We can’t easily forget painful facts.

Key Takeaway

Accept truth, even when uncomfortable.

Themes

memory truth avoidance

Mood

somber thoughtful

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- grief counseling
- ethical decision making
- personal healing

Key Concepts

philosophy cognitive dissonance

Questions to Reflect On

- What truths do you avoid?
- How does confronting them change you?

A Different Perspective

Unknowing can lead to denial and further harm.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cremated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cremated/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew/) [Know Example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-example-906346/) [Lungs Refused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lungs-refused-906345/) [Refused Cremated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refused-cremated-906344/)

## Related quotes

> [What's going to happen when I die? I may be buried, or I may be cremated, I may give my body to science. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/what-s-going-to-happen-when-i-die-i-may-be-buried-or-i-may-be/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [We were having tea with my mother-in-law the other day and out of the blue she said, "I've decided I want to be cremated."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-spikey/we-were-having-tea-with-my-mother-in-law-the-other-day-and-out-of-the/)

[Dave Spikey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-spikey/)

> [“The last time somebody was cremated, his ashes were sprinkled from a crop duster. We all ran for cover. We liked him fine, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayden-metcalfe/the-last-time-somebody-was-cremated-his-ashes-were-sprinkled-from-a/)

[Gayden Metcalfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayden-metcalfe/)

> [When I die, nieces, I want to be cremated, my ashes taken up in a bush plane and sprinkled onto the people in town…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-boyden/when-i-die-nieces-i-want-to-be-cremated-my-ashes-taken-up-in-a-bush/)

[Joseph Boyden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-boyden/)

> [When I die, I want to be cremated with everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/when-i-die-i-want-to-be-cremated-with-everybody/)

[Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/)

> [There are secrets I will take to the grave and others I'd feel safer having cremated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/there-are-secrets-i-will-take-to-the-grave-and-others-i-d-feel-safer/)

[Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/)

> [“Your father, madam, was fully cremated. I made absolutely certain.” Alexia swallowed silently and then said fervently, “Thank you, Floote.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-carriger/your-father-madam-was-fully-cremated-i-made-absolutely-certain-alexia/)

[Gail Carriger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-carriger/)

> [A politician should not be written off till he or she is cremated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-fernandes/a-politician-should-not-be-written-off-till-he-or-she-is-cremated/)

[George Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-fernandes/)

> [I want to be cremated, and I want my ashes blown in Uri Geller's eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-randi/i-want-to-be-cremated-and-i-want-my-ashes-blown-in-uri-geller-s-eyes/)

[James Randi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-randi/)

> [“For nearly two years, Bert had been taking care of Susan Branaman, who was dying of cancer. ... When she died, Bert held a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-biskind/for-nearly-two-years-bert-had-been-taking-care-of-susan-branaman-who/)

[Peter Biskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-biskind/)

> [“Why, her father would turn in his grave--well, as a matter of fact, he was cremated, but what I mean is, if he hadn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgette-heyer/why-her-father-would-turn-in-his-grave-well-as-a-matter-of-fact-he/)

[Georgette Heyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgette-heyer/)

> [In an atomic war, all men will be cremated equal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-an-atomic-war-all-men-will-be-cremated-equal/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“At the funeral my stitches were itching like crazy, but it didn’t bother me much because I was like totally tripping on the codeine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rapp/at-the-funeral-my-stitches-were-itching-like-crazy-but-it-didn-t/)

[Adam Rapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rapp/)

> [I don't want to be cremated, I want to be buried. I don't believe in wasting wood and I feel that one should give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khushwant-singh/i-don-t-want-to-be-cremated-i-want-to-be-buried-i-don-t-believe-in/)

[Khushwant Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khushwant-singh/)

> [My wife said to me, "I want to be cremated." I said, "How about Tuesday?"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-hackett/my-wife-said-to-me-i-want-to-be-cremated-i-said-how-about-tuesday/)

[Buddy Hackett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-hackett/)

## More by Arundhati Roy

> [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/in-2001-we-were-told-that-the-war-in-afghanistan-was-a-feminist/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Poverty is a crime and the poor are terrorists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/poverty-is-a-crime-and-the-poor-are-terrorists/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Flat muscled and honey coloured. Sea secrets in his eyes. A silver raindrop in his ear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/flat-muscled-and-honey-coloured-sea-secrets-in-his-eyes-a-silver/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Fiction and non-fiction are only different techniques of story telling. For reasons I do not fully understand, fiction dances out of me. Non-fiction is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/fiction-and-non-fiction-are-only-different-techniques-of-story/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [NGOs have a complicated space in neoliberal politics. They are supposed to mop up the anger. Even when they are doing good work, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/ngos-have-a-complicated-space-in-neoliberal-politics-they-are/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [I've never been that person who thought that because I've written one novel, I should write another and another. It's only when there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/i-ve-never-been-that-person-who-thought-that-because-i-ve-written-one/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [It is such a supreme folly to believe that nuclear weapons are deadly only if they're used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/it-is-such-a-supreme-folly-to-believe-that-nuclear-weapons-are-deadly/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [I think one of the saddest things that's happening to literature is that it's getting over-simplified by this diet of simple political ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/i-think-one-of-the-saddest-things-that-s-happening-to-literature-is/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [The only dream worth having, I told her, is to dream that you will live while you're alive and die only when you're dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/the-only-dream-worth-having-i-told-her-is-to-dream-that-you-will-live/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [But what was there to say? Only that there were tears. Only that Quietness and Emptiness fitted together like stacked spoons. Only that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/but-what-was-there-to-say-only-that-there-were-tears-only-that/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Truly, there's no alternative to stupidity. Cretinism is the mother of fascism. I have no defence against it, really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/truly-there-s-no-alternative-to-stupidity-cretinism-is-the-mother-of/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [“...the secret of the Great Stories is that they have no secrets. The Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/the-secret-of-the-great-stories-is-that-they-have-no-secrets-the/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [“stilts, the ground floors given over to parking. It’s a good idea in this car-maddened city,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/stilts-the-ground-floors-given-over-to-parking-it-s-a-good-idea-in/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [“Perhaps it’s true that things can change in a day. That a few dozen hours can affect the outcome of whole lifetimes. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/perhaps-it-s-true-that-things-can-change-in-a-day-that-a-few-dozen/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

[Explore all 628 Arundhati Roy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

## More Heart quotes

> [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“He held her like a new woman and what she felt felt almost as good as love had, and each of them called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/he-held-her-like-a-new-woman-and-what-she-felt-felt-almost-as-good-as/)

[Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/)

> [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/)

[Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/)

> [My heart jumps out of its cage to see what the fuss is about. Damn thing. Always so hopeful, but my voice hides it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wylie/my-heart-jumps-out-of-its-cage-to-see-what-the-fuss-is-about-damn/)

[Sarah Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wylie/)

> [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/)

[Rena Kornreich Gelissen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rena-kornreich-gelissen/)

> [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/)

[Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/)

> [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/)

[Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/)

> [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/)

[Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/)

> [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Love will fan the flame, and that flame will warm the heart that's waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-w-smith/love-will-fan-the-flame-and-that-flame-will-warm-the-heart-that-s/)

[Michael W. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-w-smith/)

> [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/)

[Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/)

> [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/)

[Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/)

[Browse all 45,172 Heart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“She wondered how to un-know certain things, certain specific things that she knew but did not wish to know. How to un-know, for example, that when people died of stone-dust, their lungs refused to be cremated.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Arundhati Roy"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/she-wondered-how-to-un-know-certain-things-certain-specific-things-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Heart"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/she-wondered-how-to-un-know-certain-things-certain-specific-things-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/156/arundhati-roy-346_heart_she-wondered-how-to-un-know-certain-thin_866445.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/156/arundhati-roy-346_heart_she-wondered-how-to-un-know-certain-thin_866445.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/156/arundhati-roy-346_heart_she-wondered-how-to-un-know-certain-thin_866445.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“She wondered how to un-know certain things, certain specific things that she knew but did not wish to know…” — Arundhati Roy",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Arundhati Roy",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“She wondered how to un-know certain...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/she-wondered-how-to-un-know-certain-things-certain-specific-things-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/she-wondered-how-to-un-know-certain-things-certain-specific-things-2/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
