--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anyone who believes you can't change…" description: "\"Anyone who believes you can't change history has never tried to write his memoirs.\" — David Ben-Gurion" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b6/david-ben-gurion-9178_change_anyone-who-believes-you-can-t-change-his_1391501.jpg" --- # Anyone who believes you can't change history has never… ![“Anyone who believes you can't change history has never tried to write his memoirs.” quote by David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b6/david-ben-gurion-9178_change_anyone-who-believes-you-can-t-change-his_1391501.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b6/david-ben-gurion-9178_change_anyone-who-believes-you-can-t-change-his_1391501.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b6/david-ben-gurion-9178_change_anyone-who-believes-you-can-t-change-his_1391501.jpg) > “Anyone who believes you can't change history has never tried to write his memoirs.” [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Those who think history is immutable have never attempted to record their own experiences. **In simple terms:** Changing history requires writing your story. Key Takeaway Document personal narratives to influence history. Themes history agency memoir change Mood determined hopeful Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - autobiographies - diaries - public speeches - social media Key Concepts narrative power personal agency historical impact Questions to Reflect On - What story would you tell? - How can personal memoirs reshape collective memory? A Different Perspective Personal accounts may be dismissed as biased. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believes Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believes-change-1771484/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-history-295168/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Tried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-tried-4403839/) [Memoirs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memoirs/) [Write Memoirs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-memoirs-253392/) ## Related quotes > [History has tried hard to teach us that we can't have good government under politicians. Now, to go and stick one at the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/history-has-tried-hard-to-teach-us-that-we-can-t-have-good-government/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [But who has time to write memoirs? I’m still living my memoirs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-wells/but-who-has-time-to-write-memoirs-i-m-still-living-my-memoirs/) [Rebecca Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-wells/) > [I'm not about to write my memoirs. Not for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-major/i-m-not-about-to-write-my-memoirs-not-for-a-long-time/) [John Major](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-major/) > [I could never write my memoirs, just because too many people are still alive and would be hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-willis/i-could-never-write-my-memoirs-just-because-too-many-people-are-still/) [Bruce Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-willis/) > [People ask me if I am going to write my memoirs. But even if I wanted to, I would not be able. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bj-rn-ulvaeus/people-ask-me-if-i-am-going-to-write-my-memoirs-but-even-if-i-wanted/) [Bjorn Ulvaeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bj-rn-ulvaeus/) > [My only fantasy about writing was that in my old days, after directing many masterpieces, I would write my memoirs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manuel-puig/my-only-fantasy-about-writing-was-that-in-my-old-days-after-directing/) [Manuel Puig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manuel-puig/) > [When Mr. William Faraday sat down to write his memoirs after fifty-eight years of blameless inactivity he found the work of inscribing the history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margery-allingham/when-mr-william-faraday-sat-down-to-write-his-memoirs-after-fifty/) [Margery Allingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margery-allingham/) > [I’m frequently asked why I don’t write my memoirs. I think I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/i-m-frequently-asked-why-i-don-t-write-my-memoirs-i-think-i-have/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [Two temptations that impair the value of their work inevitably beset public men who write memoirs. One is a tendency to reconstruct the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-grey-1st-viscount-grey-of-fallodon/two-temptations-that-impair-the-value-of-their-work-inevitably-beset/) [Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-grey-1st-viscount-grey-of-fallodon/) > [Whether I serve one or two terms in the Presidency, I will find myself at the end of that period at what might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/whether-i-serve-one-or-two-terms-in-the-presidency-i-will-find-myself/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [At 45, I am too young to write my memoirs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pooja-bhatt/at-45-i-am-too-young-to-write-my-memoirs/) [Pooja Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pooja-bhatt/) > [When public figures write memoirs, there is always some indecision regarding how much they want to write of things as they were and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehud-olmert/when-public-figures-write-memoirs-there-is-always-some-indecision/) [Ehud Olmert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehud-olmert/) > [“If I am to write my memoirs someday I would like to have good material to work with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cambias/if-i-am-to-write-my-memoirs-someday-i-would-like-to-have-good/) [James Cambias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cambias/) > [“For those who write memoirs, memory is not a mere recollection of facts; it is a ragbag we pick through, salvaging scraps to craft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rossandra-white/for-those-who-write-memoirs-memory-is-not-a-mere-recollection-of/) [Rossandra White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rossandra-white/) > [Whatever shall we do in that remote spot? Well, we will write our memoirs. Work is the scythe of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/whatever-shall-we-do-in-that-remote-spot-well-we-will-write-our/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) ## More by David Ben-Gurion > [Why should the Arabs make peace? If I was an Arab leader I would never make terms with Israel. That is natural: we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/why-should-the-arabs-make-peace-if-i-was-an-arab-leader-i-would-never/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [The assets of the Jewish National Home must be created exclusively through our own work, for only the product of the Hebrew labor can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/the-assets-of-the-jewish-national-home-must-be-created-exclusively/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [Thought is a strenuous art - few practice it, and then only at rare times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/thought-is-a-strenuous-art-few-practice-it-and-then-only-at-rare-times/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [In the land of Israel was born the Jewish nation. There came an order to kill the religious and social spirit of the people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/in-the-land-of-israel-was-born-the-jewish-nation-there-came-an-order/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [We must assist the British in the war as if there were no White Paper and we must resist the White Paper as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/we-must-assist-the-british-in-the-war-as-if-there-were-no-white-paper/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [We regard it as our duty to declare that Jewish Jerusalem is an organic and inseparable part of the State of Israel, as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/we-regard-it-as-our-duty-to-declare-that-jewish-jerusalem-is-an/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [You must talk to us as equals, or not talk to us at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/you-must-talk-to-us-as-equals-or-not-talk-to-us-at-all/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [The present map of Palestine was drawn by the British mandate. The Jewish people have another map which our youth and adults should strive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/the-present-map-of-palestine-was-drawn-by-the-british-mandate-the/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [The past is our very being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/the-past-is-our-very-being/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [Let us not ignore the truth among ourselves ... politically we are the aggressors and they defend themselves... The country is theirs, because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/let-us-not-ignore-the-truth-among-ourselves-politically-we-are-the/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [We don't consider manual work as a curse, or a bitter necessity, not even as a means of making a living. We consider it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/we-don-t-consider-manual-work-as-a-curse-or-a-bitter-necessity-not/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [We have preserved the Book, and the Book has preserved us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/we-have-preserved-the-book-and-the-book-has-preserved-us/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [We consider that the United Nations' ideal is a Jewish ideal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/we-consider-that-the-united-nations-ideal-is-a-jewish-ideal/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [If I knew that it was possible to save all the children of Germany by transporting them to England, and only half by transferring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/if-i-knew-that-it-was-possible-to-save-all-the-children-of-germany-by/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [Courage is a special kind of knowledge: the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/courage-is-a-special-kind-of-knowledge-the-knowledge-of-how-to-fear/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) [Explore all 74 David Ben-Gurion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Anyone who believes you can't change history has never tried to write his memoirs.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Ben-Gurion" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/anyone-who-believes-you-can-t-change-history-has-never-tried-to-write/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/anyone-who-believes-you-can-t-change-history-has-never-tried-to-write/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b6/david-ben-gurion-9178_change_anyone-who-believes-you-can-t-change-his_1391501.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b6/david-ben-gurion-9178_change_anyone-who-believes-you-can-t-change-his_1391501.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b6/david-ben-gurion-9178_change_anyone-who-believes-you-can-t-change-his_1391501.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Anyone who believes you can't change history has never tried to write his memoirs.” — David Ben-Gurion", "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": "David Ben-Gurion", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Anyone who believes you can't change...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/anyone-who-believes-you-can-t-change-history-has-never-tried-to-write/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/anyone-who-believes-you-can-t-change-history-has-never-tried-to-write/#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 } } ] } ```