--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You never know what your history is going…" description: "\"You never know what your history is going to be like until long after you're gone.\" — George W. Bush" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5a/george-w-bush-64_bushism_you-never-know-what-your-history-is-goin_2230973.jpg" --- # You never know what your history is going to be like until… ![“You never know what your history is going to be like until long after you're gone.” quote by George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5a/george-w-bush-64_bushism_you-never-know-what-your-history-is-goin_2230973.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5a/george-w-bush-64_bushism_you-never-know-what-your-history-is-goin_2230973.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5a/george-w-bush-64_bushism_you-never-know-what-your-history-is-goin_2230973.jpg) > “You never know what your history is going to be like until long after you're gone.” [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our perception of legacy only becomes clear after we have left the stage of life. **In simple terms:** History is understood after we’re gone. Key Takeaway Consider how your actions will be judged later. Themes legacy history humility Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal decisions - public service - family life - artistic legacy Key Concepts temporal perspective historical narrative Questions to Reflect On - What legacy do you want to leave? - How does hindsight shape reputation? A Different Perspective Your impact may be misinterpreted without context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bushism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bushism/) [Gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gone/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-going-821161/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Know History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-history/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Like Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-long/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long Gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-gone/) [Presidential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidential/) ## Related quotes > [I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-ll-be-long-gone-before-some-smart-person-ever-figures-out-what-2/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“I know that history is going to be dominated by an improbable event, I just don’t know what that event will be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/i-know-that-history-is-going-to-be-dominated-by-an-improbable-event-i/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office." (Washington DC, 12 May, 2008)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-ll-be-long-gone-before-some-smart-person-ever-figures-out-what/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I would guess, I would surmise that some of the more spectacular bombings are done by al Qaeda suiciders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-would-guess-i-would-surmise-that-some-of-the-more-spectacular/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I don't particularly like it when people put words in my mouth, either, by the way, unless I say it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-don-t-particularly-like-it-when-people-put-words-in-my-mouth-either/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'm sure something will pop into my head here in the midst of this press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-m-sure-something-will-pop-into-my-head-here-in-the-midst-of-this/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I think -- tide turning -- see, as I remember -- I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of -- it's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-think-tide-turning-see-as-i-remember-i-was-raised-in-the-desert-but/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'm going to put people in my place, so when the history of this administration is written at least there's an authoritarian voice saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-m-going-to-put-people-in-my-place-so-when-the-history-of-this/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'm telling you there's an enemy that would like to attack America, Americans, again. There just is. That's the reality of the world. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-m-telling-you-there-s-an-enemy-that-would-like-to-attack-america/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [One of the things important about history is to remember the true history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/one-of-the-things-important-about-history-is-to-remember-the-true/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I reads every chance I can gets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-reads-every-chance-i-can-gets/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/free-nations-don-t-develop-weapons-of-mass-destruction/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [It is not Reaganesque to support a tax plan that is Clinton in nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/it-is-not-reaganesque-to-support-a-tax-plan-that-is-clinton-in-nature/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I couldn't imagine somebody like Osama bin Laden understanding the joy of Chanukah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-couldn-t-imagine-somebody-like-osama-bin-laden-understanding-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/throughout-our-history-the-words-of-the-declaration-have-inspired/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## More by George W. Bush > [Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/throughout-our-history-the-words-of-the-declaration-have-inspired/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I recognize I am essentially a failed human being in the sense that I can't possibly live up to the expectations of an Almighty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-recognize-i-am-essentially-a-failed-human-being-in-the-sense-that-i/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [We will make sure our troops have all that is necessary to complete their missions. That's why I went to the Congress last September…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/we-will-make-sure-our-troops-have-all-that-is-necessary-to-complete/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [God speaks through me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/god-speaks-through-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible - and no one can now doubt the word of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/for-diplomacy-to-be-effective-words-must-be-credible-and-no-one-can/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [You can fool some of the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/you-can-fool-some-of-the-people-all-the-time-and-those-are-the-ones/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [If you take all the food aid, America is by far the most generous country. If you take the direct aid, we're very generous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-take-all-the-food-aid-america-is-by-far-the-most-generous/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The tyrant has fallen, and Iraq is free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-tyrant-has-fallen-and-iraq-is-free/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“One of our energy strategies is to increase the CAFE standards to 35 miles per hour..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/one-of-our-energy-strategies-is-to-increase-the-cafe-standards-to-35/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [There's a lot that I want to accomplish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/there-s-a-lot-that-i-want-to-accomplish/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [If he's - the inference is that somehow he thinks slavery is a - is a noble institution I would - I would strongly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-he-s-the-inference-is-that-somehow-he-thinks-slavery-is-a-is-a/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [My answer is bring 'em on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/my-answer-is-bring-em-on/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [On 9-11, we discovered that we cannot escape from the world. To me personally, this was a life-changing experience, and I realized, as did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/on-9-11-we-discovered-that-we-cannot-escape-from-the-world-to-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [As Americans, we want peace - we work and sacrifice for peace. But there can be no peace if our security depends on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/as-americans-we-want-peace-we-work-and-sacrifice-for-peace-but-there/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I couldn't imagine somebody like Osama bin Laden understanding the joy of Chanukah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-couldn-t-imagine-somebody-like-osama-bin-laden-understanding-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) [Explore all 1,717 George W. Bush quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## More Bushism quotes > [Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/throughout-our-history-the-words-of-the-declaration-have-inspired/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I couldn't imagine somebody like Osama bin Laden understanding the joy of Chanukah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-couldn-t-imagine-somebody-like-osama-bin-laden-understanding-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [It is not Reaganesque to support a tax plan that is Clinton in nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/it-is-not-reaganesque-to-support-a-tax-plan-that-is-clinton-in-nature/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/free-nations-don-t-develop-weapons-of-mass-destruction/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I reads every chance I can gets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-reads-every-chance-i-can-gets/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [One of the things important about history is to remember the true history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/one-of-the-things-important-about-history-is-to-remember-the-true/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'm telling you there's an enemy that would like to attack America, Americans, again. There just is. That's the reality of the world. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-m-telling-you-there-s-an-enemy-that-would-like-to-attack-america/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'm going to put people in my place, so when the history of this administration is written at least there's an authoritarian voice saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-m-going-to-put-people-in-my-place-so-when-the-history-of-this/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I think -- tide turning -- see, as I remember -- I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of -- it's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-think-tide-turning-see-as-i-remember-i-was-raised-in-the-desert-but/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'm sure something will pop into my head here in the midst of this press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-m-sure-something-will-pop-into-my-head-here-in-the-midst-of-this/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I don't particularly like it when people put words in my mouth, either, by the way, unless I say it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-don-t-particularly-like-it-when-people-put-words-in-my-mouth-either/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I would guess, I would surmise that some of the more spectacular bombings are done by al Qaeda suiciders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-would-guess-i-would-surmise-that-some-of-the-more-spectacular/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I do remain confident in Linda. She'll make a fine labor secretary. From what I've read in the press accounts, she's perfectly qualified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-do-remain-confident-in-linda-she-ll-make-a-fine-labor-secretary/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [There is a huge trust. I see it all the time when people come up to me and say, 'I don't want you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/there-is-a-huge-trust-i-see-it-all-the-time-when-people-come-up-to-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [My job is a decision-making job, and as a result, I make a lot of decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/my-job-is-a-decision-making-job-and-as-a-result-i-make-a-lot-of/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) [Browse all 116 Bushism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bushism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You never know what your history is going to be like until long after you're gone.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George W. 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