--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are two histories : official…" description: "\"There are two histories : official history, lying, and then secret history, where you find the real causes of events.\" — Honore de Balzac" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea5/honor-de-balzac-197_causes_there-are-two-histories-official-history_2327113.png" --- # There are two histories : official history, lying, and… ![“There are two histories : official history, lying, and then secret history, where you find the real causes of events.” quote by Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea5/honor-de-balzac-197_causes_there-are-two-histories-official-history_2327113.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea5/honor-de-balzac-197_causes_there-are-two-histories-official-history_2327113.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea5/honor-de-balzac-197_causes_there-are-two-histories-official-history_2327113.png) > “There are two histories : official history, lying, and then secret history, where you find the real causes of events.” [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Official narratives hide truths; hidden histories reveal true causes of events. **In simple terms:** Official stories lie; hidden truth matters. Key Takeaway Seek deeper truths. Themes history truth power conspiracy Mood inquisitive skeptical Type analytical historical When to use this quote - academic research - journalism - activism Key Concepts philosophy political science Questions to Reflect On - Why do official accounts differ? - How can we uncover hidden causes? A Different Perspective Hidden histories may be speculative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Secret History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret-history/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [The people who write official histories for the Army believe that a generation needs to pass before you can tackle the official history. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/the-people-who-write-official-histories-for-the-army-believe-that-a/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [Official history is believing the murderers at their word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/official-history-is-believing-the-murderers-at-their-word/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [Official history is merely a veil to hide the truth of what really happened. When the veil is lifted, again and again we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/official-history-is-merely-a-veil-to-hide-the-truth-of-what-really/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [Official history is a matter of believing murderers on their own word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/official-history-is-a-matter-of-believing-murderers-on-their-own-word/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [We must wait for the official history of the Chinese Revolution to record in greater detail the invaluable work of our Japanese friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-yat-sen/we-must-wait-for-the-official-history-of-the-chinese-revolution-to/) [Sun Yat-sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-yat-sen/) > [I think one of the bigger issues with modern-day people is that we don't give enough credit to people from history as being real.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-baena/i-think-one-of-the-bigger-issues-with-modern-day-people-is-that-we/) [Jeff Baena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-baena/) > [Although this is a fictitious story the history is real. You don't want to re-write history but you certainly want to portray events and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/although-this-is-a-fictitious-story-the-history-is-real-you-don-t/) [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) > [The history of Real Madrid is impressive, and Cristiano Ronaldo added a piece more to the history of this club, but Real Madrid can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcelo/the-history-of-real-madrid-is-impressive-and-cristiano-ronaldo-added/) [Marcelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcelo/) > [“When I started researching airline stewardesses, I found that the topic made for amusing cocktail party banter. “You’re writing a book about that? Wow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-vantoch/when-i-started-researching-airline-stewardesses-i-found-that-the/) [Victoria Vantoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-vantoch/) > [If you need to know history, the real story of those before you, then you should go to the library and read newspaper clippings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-haley/if-you-need-to-know-history-the-real-story-of-those-before-you-then/) [Alex Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-haley/) > [To me, the difference between mythology and real history is that the real history has to tell a kind of believable story of how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-heller/to-me-the-difference-between-mythology-and-real-history-is-that-the/) [Bruno Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-heller/) > [The great forces of history were real, after a fashion. But when you examined them closely, those great forces always came down to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-great-forces-of-history-were-real-after-a-fashion-but-when-you/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [While growing up, I actually thought people didn't care what color you were. Racism is history, but it's real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-cunningham/while-growing-up-i-actually-thought-people-didn-t-care-what-color-you/) [Randall Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-cunningham/) > [I collect old first and second World War artifacts and things. I'm a little secret history nerd. I've been lucky enough to do quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irvine/i-collect-old-first-and-second-world-war-artifacts-and-things-i-m-a/) [Jeremy Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irvine/) > [I really like all of the characters in 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt, especially Camilla, the one girl. I find her fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-murray/i-really-like-all-of-the-characters-in-the-secret-history-by-donna/) [Hannah Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-murray/) ## More by Honore de Balzac > [“Oh, my friend, when you love, love a woman whom you are sure that you can love always. Never forsake a woman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/oh-my-friend-when-you-love-love-a-woman-whom-you-are-sure-that-you/) [Honoré de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [“You have broken the ice, though you have not even scratched its glossy surface: you have placed your hand upon the croup of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/you-have-broken-the-ice-though-you-have-not-even-scratched-its-glossy/) [Honoré de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [In a world of hunchbacks, a fine figure becomes a monstrosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/in-a-world-of-hunchbacks-a-fine-figure-becomes-a-monstrosity/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [It is quite right what they say: the three most beautiful sights in the world are a ship in full sail, a galloping horse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/it-is-quite-right-what-they-say-the-three-most-beautiful-sights-in/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [My writing table has seen all my wretchedness, knows all my plans, has overheard all my thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/my-writing-table-has-seen-all-my-wretchedness-knows-all-my-plans-has/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Foppery, being the chronic condition of women, is not so much noticed as it is when it breaks out on the person of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/foppery-being-the-chronic-condition-of-women-is-not-so-much-noticed/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [A married woman is a slave you must know how to seat upon a throne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/a-married-woman-is-a-slave-you-must-know-how-to-seat-upon-a-throne/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Rich men are resolved to be astonished at nothing. When they see a masterpiece, they must needs at one glance recognize some flaw to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/rich-men-are-resolved-to-be-astonished-at-nothing-when-they-see-a/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [I am a galley slave to pen and ink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/i-am-a-galley-slave-to-pen-and-ink/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [One can imagine the look the two lovers exchanged; it was like a flame, for virtuous lovers have not a shred of hypocrisy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/one-can-imagine-the-look-the-two-lovers-exchanged-it-was-like-a-flame/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [White and shining virgin of all human virtues, ark of the covenant between earth and heaven, tender and strong companion partaking of the lion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/white-and-shining-virgin-of-all-human-virtues-ark-of-the-covenant/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [All men can bear a familiar, definite misfortune better than the cruel alternations of a fate which, from one moment to another, brings excessive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/all-men-can-bear-a-familiar-definite-misfortune-better-than-the-cruel/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [The mind, too, has its regimen. It needs gymnastics, just like the body does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/the-mind-too-has-its-regimen-it-needs-gymnastics-just-like-the-body/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Hatred like love feeds on the merest trifles. Everything adds to it. Just as the being we love can do no wrong, so the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/hatred-like-love-feeds-on-the-merest-trifles-everything-adds-to-it/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [All human power is a compound of time and patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/all-human-power-is-a-compound-of-time-and-patience/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) [Explore all 793 Honore de Balzac quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) ## More Causes quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [Many patients imagine that they have tried everything. True, they have used many remedies, but they have never had the cause of their infirmity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-palmer/many-patients-imagine-that-they-have-tried-everything-true-they-have/) [Daniel D. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-palmer/) > [Get out from that kitchen and rattle those pots and pans. Well, roll my breakfast cause I'm a hungry man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-joe-turner/get-out-from-that-kitchen-and-rattle-those-pots-and-pans-well-roll-my/) [Big Joe Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-joe-turner/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. The real cause of all problems lie in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/jobs-and-money-are-never-the-primary-cause-of-stress-thinking/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [God hides Himself behind causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rollin/god-hides-himself-behind-causes/) [Charles Rollin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rollin/) > [Guns have little or nothing to do with juvenile violence. The causes of youth violence are working parents who put their kids into daycare,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/guns-have-little-or-nothing-to-do-with-juvenile-violence-the-causes/) [Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/) > [I don't wear rubbers cause you can't catch it twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-norton/i-don-t-wear-rubbers-cause-you-can-t-catch-it-twice/) [Jim Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-norton/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Well the first time I performed, my mom was like how she is now when sees me on stage – all red, smiling from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brown/well-the-first-time-i-performed-my-mom-was-like-how-she-is-now-when/) [Chris Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brown/) > [I love a lot of things, a whole lot of things / Like / My cousin comes to visit and you know he's from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloise-greenfield/i-love-a-lot-of-things-a-whole-lot-of-things-like-my-cousin-comes-to/) Eloise Greenfield > [Many companies have long contended that stress in the home causes productivity loss in the market place.. and it does. But research now reveals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/many-companies-have-long-contended-that-stress-in-the-home-causes/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [The miracle drugs (neuroleptics) cause the worst plague of brain damage in medical history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-breggin/the-miracle-drugs-neuroleptics-cause-the-worst-plague-of-brain-damage/) [Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-breggin/) Browse all 9,070 Causes quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are two histories : official history, lying, and then secret history, where you find the real causes of events.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Honore de Balzac" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/there-are-two-histories-official-history-lying-and-then-secret/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Causes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/there-are-two-histories-official-history-lying-and-then-secret/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea5/honor-de-balzac-197_causes_there-are-two-histories-official-history_2327113.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea5/honor-de-balzac-197_causes_there-are-two-histories-official-history_2327113.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea5/honor-de-balzac-197_causes_there-are-two-histories-official-history_2327113.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are two histories : official history, lying, and then secret history, where you find the real causes…” — Honore de Balzac", "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": "Honore de Balzac", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There are two histories : official...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/there-are-two-histories-official-history-lying-and-then-secret/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/there-are-two-histories-official-history-lying-and-then-secret/#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 } } ] } ```