--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I will get forgotten, but the stories…" description: "\"“I will get forgotten, but the stories will last. And so we all matter -- maybe less than a lot, but always more than none.”\" — John Green" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/john-green-12_forgotten_i-will-get-forgotten-but-the-stories-wil_252920.jpg" --- # I will get forgotten, but the stories will last. And so we… ![“I will get forgotten, but the stories will last. And so we all matter -- maybe less than a lot, but always more than none.” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/john-green-12_forgotten_i-will-get-forgotten-but-the-stories-wil_252920.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/john-green-12_forgotten_i-will-get-forgotten-but-the-stories-wil_252920.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/john-green-12_forgotten_i-will-get-forgotten-but-the-stories-wil_252920.jpg) > ““I will get forgotten, but the stories will last. And so we all matter -- maybe less than a lot, but always more than none.”” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our lives are fleeting, but the narratives we create endure, giving each person significance beyond their brief existence. **In simple terms:** Stories outlive us, giving meaning. Key Takeaway Share your story, leave a mark. Themes legacy meaning storytelling Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal memoirs - family histories - social media posts - community projects Key Concepts existentialism narrative continuity Questions to Reflect On - How will you ensure your story endures? - What narratives give you a sense of purpose? A Different Perspective Stories can be forgotten if not recorded or shared widely. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) ## Related quotes > [“So we all matter- maybe less than a lot, but always more than none.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-we-all-matter-maybe-less-than-a-lot-but-always-more-than-none/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“stories don’t just make us matter to each other—maybe they’re also the only way to the infinite mattering he’d been after for so long.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/stories-don-t-just-make-us-matter-to-each-other-maybe-they-re-also/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Dangling punch lines to forgotten stories remain in the language like the smile of the Cheshire cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/dangling-punch-lines-to-forgotten-stories-remain-in-the-language-like/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [“And so we all matter - maybe less than a lot, but always more than none.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/and-so-we-all-matter-maybe-less-than-a-lot-but-always-more-than-none/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [And he found himself thinking that maybe stories don't just make us matter to each other - maybe they're also the only way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/and-he-found-himself-thinking-that-maybe-stories-don-t-just-make-us/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [We all matter - maybe less then a lot but always more than none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/we-all-matter-maybe-less-then-a-lot-but-always-more-than-none/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“And Colin thought: Because like say I tell someone about my feral hog hunt. Even if it's a dumb story, telling it changes other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/and-colin-thought-because-like-say-i-tell-someone-about-my-feral-hog/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Even if it’s a dumb story, telling it changes people just the slightest little bit, just as living the story changes me. An infinitesimal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/even-if-it-s-a-dumb-story-telling-it-changes-people-just-the/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“He found himself thinking that maybe stories don't just make us matter to each other - maybe they're also the only way to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-found-himself-thinking-that-maybe-stories-don-t-just-make-us/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Human existence is temporary and all the knowledge of the universe we acquire will in time be forgotten because there will be no humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/human-existence-is-temporary-and-all-the-knowledge-of-the-universe-we/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Maybe it doesn't matter, maybe if we all force ourselves to act like we're okay even if we're not, eventually things will get better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/maybe-it-doesn-t-matter-maybe-if-we-all-force-ourselves-to-act-like/) [Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/) > [In luggage claim at the Minneapolis airport, the guy came up to me and said, "Maybe you're wrong, maybe stories do matter." I wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/in-luggage-claim-at-the-minneapolis-airport-the-guy-came-up-to-me-and/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [I think there is a human instinct to tell stories, no matter who you are or where you live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/i-think-there-is-a-human-instinct-to-tell-stories-no-matter-who-you/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [“Because like say I tell someone about my feral hog hunt. Even if it’s a dumb story, telling it changes other people just the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/because-like-say-i-tell-someone-about-my-feral-hog-hunt-even-if-it-s/) [John green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More by John Green > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Traffic's not too bad on Sheridan, and I'm cornering the car like it's the Indy 500, and we're listening to my favorite NMH song,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/traffic-s-not-too-bad-on-sheridan-and-i-m-cornering-the-car-like-it-s/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Praise God for good nurses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/praise-god-for-good-nurses/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More Forgotten quotes > [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. Recognition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/while-the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-is-the-most-historic-there/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogden-stiers/family-means-no-one-gets-left-behind-or-forgotten/) [David Ogden Stiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogden-stiers/) > [I was just going to say something, but I forgot when I started looking at you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-just-going-to-say-something-but-i-forgot-when-i-started-looking/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Black women's intersectional experiences of racism and sexism have been a central but forgotten dynamic in the unfolding of feminist and antiracist agendas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberle-williams-crenshaw/black-women-s-intersectional-experiences-of-racism-and-sexism-have/) [Kimberle Williams Crenshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberle-williams-crenshaw/) > [I mean, sitcoms shouldn't be doing 'Saturday Night Live.' You can't just do bit after bit after bit. You have to string it together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-dewitt/i-mean-sitcoms-shouldn-t-be-doing-saturday-night-live-you-can-t-just/) [Joyce DeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-dewitt/) > [People paid money for tickets to see us and be entertained by us, and we've never forgotten that. Anything after that was a bonus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-young/people-paid-money-for-tickets-to-see-us-and-be-entertained-by-us-and/) [Malcolm Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-young/) > [“Forgotten hero was never the real hero, real hero can not be forgotten.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/forgotten-hero-was-never-the-real-hero-real-hero-can-not-be-forgotten/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [We began as mineral. We emerged into plant life, and into the animal state, and then into being human, and always we have forgotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/we-began-as-mineral-we-emerged-into-plant-life-and-into-the-animal/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [It's the frames which make some things important and some things forgotten. It's all only frames from which the content rises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-babitz/it-s-the-frames-which-make-some-things-important-and-some-things/) [Eve Babitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-babitz/) > [Our public officials have forgotten that they are ultimately accountable to the people who put them in office, that the information they keep in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/our-public-officials-have-forgotten-that-they-are-ultimately/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [I have never forgotten a picture that I ever made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-bourke-white/i-have-never-forgotten-a-picture-that-i-ever-made/) [Margaret Bourke-White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-bourke-white/) > [I had forgotten that talking to you is like trying to pet a cactus." Saiman said dryly. "Thank you for reminding me." "Always happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/i-had-forgotten-that-talking-to-you-is-like-trying-to-pet-a-cactus/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [Im afraid of being forgotten. Because, it seems everyone I get close to, ends up forgetting me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arcine-arciniegas/im-afraid-of-being-forgotten-because-it-seems-everyone-i-get-close-to/) [Arcine Arciniegas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arcine-arciniegas/) > [A lover asked his beloved, Do you love yourself more than you love me? Beloved replied, I have died to myself and I live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-lover-asked-his-beloved-do-you-love-yourself-more-than-you-love-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I had forgotten how wonderful it is to stand on a bridge and catch the scent of rain in the air. I had forgotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-steinbach/i-had-forgotten-how-wonderful-it-is-to-stand-on-a-bridge-and-catch/) [Alice Steinbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-steinbach/) Browse all 2,870 Forgotten quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I will get forgotten, but the stories will last. 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