--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The ones who did it can always…" description: "\"“The ones who did it can always rationalize their actions and even forget what they did. They can turn away from things they don't want to see. But the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da5/haruki-murakami-21_children_the-ones-who-did-it-can-always-rationali_722090.jpg" --- # The ones who did it can always rationalize their actions… ![“The ones who did it can always rationalize their actions and even forget what they did. They can turn away from things they don't want to see. But the surviving victims can never forget. They can’t turn away. Their memories are passed on from parent to child. That’s what the world is, after all…” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da5/haruki-murakami-21_children_the-ones-who-did-it-can-always-rationali_722090.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da5/haruki-murakami-21_children_the-ones-who-did-it-can-always-rationali_722090.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da5/haruki-murakami-21_children_the-ones-who-did-it-can-always-rationali_722090.jpg) > ““The ones who did it can always rationalize their actions and even forget what they did. They can turn away from things they don't want to see. But the surviving victims can never forget. They can’t turn away. Their memories are passed on from parent to child. That’s what the world is, after all: an endless battle of contrasting memories.”” [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Survivors of trauma retain vivid memories that persist across generations, unlike perpetrators who rationalize and forget. **In simple terms:** Trauma memories endure, while guilt can be erased. Key Takeaway Listen to and honor survivor stories. Themes memory trauma generational justice forgiveness Mood somber thoughtful Type historical psychological When to use this quote - family histories - community healing - educational curricula Key Concepts collective memory psychological resilience historical narrative Questions to Reflect On - How can societies preserve survivor testimonies? - What role does memory play in justice? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex historical narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Massacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/massacre/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Victims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victims/) ## Related quotes > [ “The world \[...\] an endless battle of contrasting memories.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-world-an-endless-battle-of-contrasting-memories/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [That's what the world is , after all: an endless battle of contrasting memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-s-what-the-world-is-after-all-an-endless-battle-of-contrasting/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [We see and hear about Israelis and Palestinians only when they are defined by the global media as 'occupiers,' 'terrorists,' and 'victims.' But we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-alexander/we-see-and-hear-about-israelis-and-palestinians-only-when-they-are/) [Jason Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-alexander/) > [The world is an endless battle of contrasting memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-world-is-an-endless-battle-of-contrasting-memories/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I lay in this bed Unable to sleep Lonely thoughts and memories Slowly my eyes begin to weep I think about how I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curly-girl/i-lay-in-this-bed-unable-to-sleep-lonely-thoughts-and-memories-slowly/) Curly Girl > [“If we’re really over it, we won’t need to mention it every once in a while. 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