--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know that old phrase ‘Those who don’t…" description: "\"You know that old phrase ‘Those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it’? Well, I think those who remember the past are even worse off.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89a/chuck-palahniuk-37_history_you-know-that-old-phrase-those-who-don-t_2777917.jpg" --- # You know that old phrase ‘Those who don’t remember the… ![“You know that old phrase ‘Those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it’? Well, I think those who remember the past are even worse off.” quote by Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89a/chuck-palahniuk-37_history_you-know-that-old-phrase-those-who-don-t_2777917.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89a/chuck-palahniuk-37_history_you-know-that-old-phrase-those-who-don-t_2777917.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89a/chuck-palahniuk-37_history_you-know-that-old-phrase-those-who-don-t_2777917.jpg) > “You know that old phrase ‘Those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it’? Well, I think those who remember the past are even worse off.” [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Remembering history can be painful, but forgetting it leads to repeated mistakes; both remembrance and oblivion have drawbacks. **In simple terms:** Both remembering and forgetting have risks. Key Takeaway Balance memory with forward action. Themes history memory human nature Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - education - policy making - personal growth - cultural discourse Key Concepts cognitive bias collective trauma Questions to Reflect On - How do you use history constructively? - What lessons can you apply today? A Different Perspective Too much focus on past can hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past Condemned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-condemned-432113/) [Past Worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-worse-2220993/) [Phrases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phrases/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Remember Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember-past/) [Remembering the past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remembering-the-past/) [Think Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-remember/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it without a sense of ironic futility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/those-who-cannot-remember-the-past-are-condemned-to-repeat-it-without/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [He who cannot remember the past is condemned to remember the past. Or something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/he-who-cannot-remember-the-past-is-condemned-to-remember-the-past-or/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [Santayana's aphorism must be reversed: too often it is those who can remember the past who are condemned to repeat it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/santayana-s-aphorism-must-be-reversed-too-often-it-is-those-who-can/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat the eleventh grade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/those-who-don-t-remember-the-past-are-condemned-to-repeat-the/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Those who remember the past tend to get the story really screwed up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/those-who-remember-the-past-tend-to-get-the-story-really-screwed-up/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Those who cannot remember the past are condemned, it seems, to direct the Middle East policy of the Obama administration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/those-who-cannot-remember-the-past-are-condemned-it-seems-to-direct/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [“There's an old saying about those who cannot remember the past being condemned to repeat it. But those of us who refuse to forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-thorne/there-s-an-old-saying-about-those-who-cannot-remember-the-past-being/) [Emily Thorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-thorne/) > [Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/those-who-do-not-remember-the-past-are-condemned-to-repeat-it/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it. —Santayana”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-l-shirer/those-who-do-not-remember-the-past-are-condemned-to-relive-it/) [William L. Shirer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-l-shirer/) > [“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to compute it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/those-who-cannot-remember-the-past-are-condemned-to-compute-it/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/those-who-cannot-remember-the-past-are-condemned-to-repeat-it/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [“The more successful people have been in the past, the worse they perform when they enter a new environment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/the-more-successful-people-have-been-in-the-past-the-worse-they-2/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [I think we can remember our past without valorizing parts of our past that we ought to see as wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/i-think-we-can-remember-our-past-without-valorizing-parts-of-our-past/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [“Because supposedly those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-supposedly-those-who-forget-the-past-are-condemned-to-repeat/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/those-who-forget-the-past-are-condemned-to-repeat-it/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) ## More by Chuck Palahniuk > [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [His saliva tasted like the wet dicks of ten thousand lonely truck drivers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/his-saliva-tasted-like-the-wet-dicks-of-ten-thousand-lonely-truck/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“shoulder. They weigh that much. Tyler’s a banquet waiter,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/shoulder-they-weigh-that-much-tyler-s-a-banquet-waiter/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [We'll never be as young as we are tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-ll-never-be-as-young-as-we-are-tonight/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“We drive west the rest of the night, away from where the sun will come up, trying to outrace it, trying not to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-drive-west-the-rest-of-the-night-away-from-where-the-sun-will-come/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Just for the record, how I feel right now is very terrific.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/just-for-the-record-how-i-feel-right-now-is-very-terrific/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Nobody's told me anything to date that I've been completely reviled by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/nobody-s-told-me-anything-to-date-that-i-ve-been-completely-reviled-by/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Then you're trapped in your lovely nest, and the things you used to own, now they own you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/then-you-re-trapped-in-your-lovely-nest-and-the-things-you-used-to/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Some stories, you use up. Others use you up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/some-stories-you-use-up-others-use-you-up/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Verbs allow you to communicate a story in a much more converged or involuntary way for a reader. The verbs allow you to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/verbs-allow-you-to-communicate-a-story-in-a-much-more-converged-or/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Waiters will always pee in soup, people will always fall in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/waiters-will-always-pee-in-soup-people-will-always-fall-in-love/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Branch Bacardi, star of The Da Vinci Load, To Drill a Mockingbird, The Postman Always Cums Twice, Chitty Chitty Gang Bang, The Twilight Bone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/branch-bacardi-star-of-the-da-vinci-load-to-drill-a-mockingbird-the/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Every unkind remark or crude gesture by others is a blessing, an opportunity to exercise our own capacity to forgive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/every-unkind-remark-or-crude-gesture-by-others-is-a-blessing-an/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Nuestro deber es enseñar a esos hombres y mujeres la libertad a través de la esclavitud; y el coraje a través del miedo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/nuestro-deber-es-ense-ar-a-esos-hombres-y-mujeres-la-libertad-a-trav/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) [Explore all 2,041 Chuck Palahniuk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) ## More History quotes > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/in-the-entire-history-of-the-universe-let-alone-in-your-own-history/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [The NBA is my history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-hardaway/the-nba-is-my-history/) [Penny Hardaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-hardaway/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Things live and die, and then someone processes them into edible portions. This is a complete telling of the story, 'Food.' The basic plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/things-live-and-die-and-then-someone-processes-them-into-edible/) [David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/) > [History is a certain way, but you just change the point of view a little bit, and you discover a whole new side of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-schroeder/history-is-a-certain-way-but-you-just-change-the-point-of-view-a/) [Allison Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-schroeder/) > [We're at a point in history were we have to become a part of the neighborhood of inhabited planets, like a neighborhood of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/we-re-at-a-point-in-history-were-we-have-to-become-a-part-of-the/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [Today is a reality, tomorrow's a promise, and yesterday's history!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-blanks/today-is-a-reality-tomorrow-s-a-promise-and-yesterday-s-history/) [Billy Blanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-blanks/) > [Truth be told from compulsive liars with a history/Everything must change 2nd chances are a mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/truth-be-told-from-compulsive-liars-with-a-history-everything-must/) [C-DASH](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-dash/) > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [“To those great geniuses now in petticoats, who shall write novels for the beloved reader's children, these men and things will be as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-those-great-geniuses-now-in-petticoats-who-shall-write-novels-for/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) [Browse all 27,263 History quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You know that old phrase ‘Those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it’? 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