--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Scars have the strange power to remind us…" description: "\"Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real.\" — Cormac McCarthy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/cormac-mccarthy-181_healing_scars-have-the-strange-power-to-remind-u_1299303.jpg" --- # Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is… ![“Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real.” quote by Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/cormac-mccarthy-181_healing_scars-have-the-strange-power-to-remind-u_1299303.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/cormac-mccarthy-181_healing_scars-have-the-strange-power-to-remind-u_1299303.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/cormac-mccarthy-181_healing_scars-have-the-strange-power-to-remind-u_1299303.jpg) > “Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real.” [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Scars act as tangible evidence that past experiences truly occurred, shaping identity and memory. **In simple terms:** Scars show our past was real. Key Takeaway Acknowledge scars as proof of lived experience. Themes memory identity pain healing Mood reflective somber Type philosophical emotive When to use this quote - personal loss - trauma recovery - relationship building - self‑reflection Key Concepts Existentialism embodiment Questions to Reflect On - How do you interpret your scars? - Can they guide future choices? A Different Perspective Scars can also trap us in victimhood if not processed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Healing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healing/) [Our past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-past/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-real-441424/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Remind Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remind-past-864588/) [Scar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scar/) [Scars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scars/) [Scars Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scars-strange-4261146/) [Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real. The events that cause them can never be forgotten, can they?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/scars-have-the-strange-power-to-remind-us-that-our-past-is-real-the/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [Our scars make us know that our past was for real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/our-scars-make-us-know-that-our-past-was-for-real/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [And be grateful. Our scars have the power to remind us that the past was real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-be-grateful-our-scars-have-the-power-to-remind-us-that-the-past/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Scars remind us that the past was real..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakespeare/scars-remind-us-that-the-past-was-real/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakespeare/) > [Our scars have the power to remind us that the past is real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/our-scars-have-the-power-to-remind-us-that-the-past-is-real/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our scars remind us that the past is real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/our-scars-remind-us-that-the-past-is-real/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't resurrect relationships with negative people off of good memories. You will only remind yourself why they became your past in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keshia-chante/don-t-resurrect-relationships-with-negative-people-off-of-good/) [Keshia Chante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keshia-chante/) > [“Throughout the day, practise bringing your attention back to the present moment, rather than allowing it to wander off into daydreams, rumination about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-j-robertson/throughout-the-day-practise-bringing-your-attention-back-to-the/) [Donald J. Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-j-robertson/) > [Nothing was the same ever since you left. Many have came and went but they remind me of the past. I was such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-was-the-same-ever-since-you-left-many-have-came-and-went-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There are times God puts things in our lives that remind us of the past, so that we know…not all is as lost as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-megan-varnadore/there-are-times-god-puts-things-in-our-lives-that-remind-us-of-the/) [Jennifer Megan Varnadore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-megan-varnadore/) > [When the devil tries to remind you of your past, just laugh and remind him of your future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/when-the-devil-tries-to-remind-you-of-your-past-just-laugh-and-remind/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Never remind yourself about the past, they will disappoint you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daudi-bilingi/never-remind-yourself-about-the-past-they-will-disappoint-you/) [Daudi Bilingi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daudi-bilingi/) > [If the devil remind you of your past. Well remind him of his future because you can be forgiven by God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalyn/if-the-devil-remind-you-of-your-past-well-remind-him-of-his-future/) [Magdalyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalyn/) > [“Seeing your past - or a person from your - can for me at least be physically painful. I'm overwhelmed by a melancholic ache…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/seeing-your-past-or-a-person-from-your-can-for-me-at-least-be/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Don’t let your imagination be crushed by life as a whole. Don’t try to picture everything bad that could possibly happen. Stick with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/don-t-let-your-imagination-be-crushed-by-life-as-a-whole-don-t-try-to/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) ## More by Cormac McCarthy > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“The events of the world can have no separate life from the world. And yet the world itself can have no temporal view of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-events-of-the-world-can-have-no-separate-life-from-the-world-and/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“I had two dreams about him after he died. I dont remember the first one all that well but it was about meetin him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/i-had-two-dreams-about-him-after-he-died-i-dont-remember-the-first/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“You think people was meaner then than they are now? the deputy said. The old man was looking out at the flooded town. No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-think-people-was-meaner-then-than-they-are-now-the-deputy-said/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“They set forth in a crimson dawn where sky and earth closed in a razorous plane. Out there dark little archipelagos of cloud and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-set-forth-in-a-crimson-dawn-where-sky-and-earth-closed-in-a/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Nothing. Where all was burnt to ash before them no fires were to be had and the nights were long and dark and cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/nothing-where-all-was-burnt-to-ash-before-them-no-fires-were-to-be/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [He said that whether a man's life was writ in a book someplace or whether it took its form day by day was one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-said-that-whether-a-man-s-life-was-writ-in-a-book-someplace-or/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“He lives in a room above a courtyard behind a tavern and he comes down at night like some fairybook beast to fight with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-lives-in-a-room-above-a-courtyard-behind-a-tavern-and-he-comes/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Ultimo hombre. Last man standing, must've been one. Where'd he go?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ultimo-hombre-last-man-standing-must-ve-been-one-where-d-he-go/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“To seek out the upright. No fall but preceded by a declination. He took great marching steps into the nothingness, counting them against his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/to-seek-out-the-upright-no-fall-but-preceded-by-a-declination-he-took/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“They went through the last of the cars and then walked up the track to the locomotive and climbed up to the catwalk. Rust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-went-through-the-last-of-the-cars-and-then-walked-up-the-track/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Night fell upon them dark and starblown and the wagon grew swollen near mute with dew. On their chairs in such black immobility these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/night-fell-upon-them-dark-and-starblown-and-the-wagon-grew-swollen/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“When I was in school I studied biology. I learned that in making their experiments scientists will take some group - bacteria, mice, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/when-i-was-in-school-i-studied-biology-i-learned-that-in-making-their/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [ “We none of us knew him to speak \[Dutch\]. Asked him where he'd learned it you know what he said? What did he say.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/we-none-of-us-knew-him-to-speak-dutch-asked-him-where-he-d-learned-it/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“You know that the things you put it your head stay there, right?' 'Yeah. But you remember some things, don't you?' 'Yeah. You remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-know-that-the-things-you-put-it-your-head-stay-there-right-yeah/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) [Explore all 927 Cormac McCarthy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## More Healing quotes > [The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-goal-of-spiritual-practice-is-full-recovery-and-the-only-thing/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I am told many children block out the memory of trauma. In fact, the healing process can only truly begin when we are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-stone/i-am-told-many-children-block-out-the-memory-of-trauma-in-fact-the/) [Phoebe Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-stone/) > [We're on the road 300 days a year. There's no recovery time. It's a test of your physical and mental endurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-phoenix/we-re-on-the-road-300-days-a-year-there-s-no-recovery-time-it-s-a/) [Beth Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-phoenix/) > [During the last 17 years... I have been working at the restoration of a once exhausted hillside. Its scars are now healed over, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/during-the-last-17-years-i-have-been-working-at-the-restoration-of-a/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“SILENT LIKE SLEEP You appear by my side, silent like sleep. Soft hair, a little wild. No fear, gentle like a calm river. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/silent-like-sleep-you-appear-by-my-side-silent-like-sleep-soft-hair-a/) [Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/) > [It is natural that our minds replay old stories, because that is our own mechanism for trying to work out unresolved problems. Yet rerunning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/it-is-natural-that-our-minds-replay-old-stories-because-that-is-our/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [“Don’t waste your time trying to explain yourself to people that are committed to misunderstanding you. Instead, commit your time to explaining who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-waste-your-time-trying-to-explain-yourself-to-people-that-are/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“One of the most outstanding aspects of Ayurveda is its teaching that nothing is absolute. The utility, value and effect of anything is relative.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-swami/one-of-the-most-outstanding-aspects-of-ayurveda-is-its-teaching-that/) [Om Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-swami/) > [“Good morning,” one of the soldiers said. “I’m Captain Joseph Walker and this is Sergeant James Vanetten. We are members of the One-Hundred-and-First Airborne…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shafter-bailey/good-morning-one-of-the-soldiers-said-i-m-captain-joseph-walker-and/) [Shafter Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shafter-bailey/) > [“It is not so much about fighting against the ego; it is more about harmonizing with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-sara/it-is-not-so-much-about-fighting-against-the-ego-it-is-more-about/) [Grace Sara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-sara/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [“While trauma keeps us dumbfounded, the path out of it is paved with words, carefully assembled, piece by piece, until the whole story can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bessel-a-van-der-kolk/while-trauma-keeps-us-dumbfounded-the-path-out-of-it-is-paved-with/) [Bessel A. van der Kolk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bessel-a-van-der-kolk/) > [My identity shifted when I got into # recovery . That's who I am now, and it actually gives me greater pleasure to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/my-identity-shifted-when-i-got-into-recovery-that-s-who-i-am-now-and/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) > [The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America - our country is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-time-has-come-to-turn-to-god-and-reassert-our-trust-in-him-for/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“I’ve always seen this in you, ever since you were a little girl — this hunger to love other people into their highest selves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-elisabeth/i-ve-always-seen-this-in-you-ever-since-you-were-a-little-girl-this/) [Jennifer Elisabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-elisabeth/) [Browse all 4,986 Healing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cormac McCarthy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/scars-have-the-strange-power-to-remind-us-that-our-past-is-real/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Healing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/scars-have-the-strange-power-to-remind-us-that-our-past-is-real/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/cormac-mccarthy-181_healing_scars-have-the-strange-power-to-remind-u_1299303.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/cormac-mccarthy-181_healing_scars-have-the-strange-power-to-remind-u_1299303.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/cormac-mccarthy-181_healing_scars-have-the-strange-power-to-remind-u_1299303.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real.” — Cormac McCarthy", "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": "Cormac McCarthy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Scars have the strange power to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/scars-have-the-strange-power-to-remind-us-that-our-past-is-real/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/scars-have-the-strange-power-to-remind-us-that-our-past-is-real/#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 } } ] } ```