--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But, then, I cannot escape the objection…" description: "\"“But, then, I cannot escape the objection that there is no state of mind, however simple, which does not change every moment, since there is no conscio..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94e/henri-bergson-7179_change_but-then-i-cannot-escape-the-objection-t_159602.jpg" --- # But, then, I cannot escape the objection that there is no… ![“But, then, I cannot escape the objection that there is no state of mind, however simple, which does not change every moment, since there is no consciousness without memory, and no continuation of a state without the addition, to the present feeling, of the memory of past moments. It is this which…” quote by Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94e/henri-bergson-7179_change_but-then-i-cannot-escape-the-objection-t_159602.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94e/henri-bergson-7179_change_but-then-i-cannot-escape-the-objection-t_159602.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94e/henri-bergson-7179_change_but-then-i-cannot-escape-the-objection-t_159602.jpg) > ““But, then, I cannot escape the objection that there is no state of mind, however simple, which does not change every moment, since there is no consciousness without memory, and no continuation of a state without the addition, to the present feeling, of the memory of past moments. It is this which constitutes duration. Inner duration is the continuous life of a memory which prolongs the past into the present, the present either containing within it in a distinct form the ceaselessly growing image of the past, or, more profoundly, showing by its continual change of quality the heavier and still heavier load we drag behind us as we grow older. Without this survival of the past into the present there would be no duration, but only instantaneity.”” [Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Duration arises from memory linking past to present, making consciousness a continuous flow rather than isolated moments. **In simple terms:** Memory connects past and present, creating lasting duration. Key Takeaway Value continuity of experience over fleeting moments. Themes philosophy time consciousness memory identity Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - daily reflection - aging - psychological analysis - mindfulness practice Key Concepts temporal continuity phenomenology Questions to Reflect On - How does memory shape your sense of self? - Can you experience pure present without past? A Different Perspective Memory can be unreliable, affecting perceived duration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Every moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-moment/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [State of mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-of-mind/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [You have to be reminded of a basic fact: intelligence belongs to the watching consciousness; memory belongs to the mind. 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People who believe themselves ignorant of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/informed-ignorance-provides-the-natural-state-of-mind-for-research/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) ## More by Henri Bergson > [The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect was already in the cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/the-present-contains-nothing-more-than-the-past-and-what-is-found-in/) [Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/) > [Action on the move creates its own route, creates to a very great extent the conditions under which it is to be fulfilled and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/action-on-the-move-creates-its-own-route-creates-to-a-very-great/) [Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/) > [Intuition is a method of feeling one's way intellectually into the inner heart of a thing, in order to locate what is unique and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/intuition-is-a-method-of-feeling-one-s-way-intellectually-into-the/) [Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/) > [In laughter we always find an unavowed intention to humiliate and consequently to correct our neighbour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/in-laughter-we-always-find-an-unavowed-intention-to-humiliate-and/) [Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/) > [In short, intelligence, considered in what seems to be its original feature, is the faculty of manufacturing artificial objects, especially tools to make tools,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/in-short-intelligence-considered-in-what-seems-to-be-its-original/) [Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/) > [There is no greater joy than that of feeling oneself a creator. 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