--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So much of what we do is ephemeral and…" description: "\"So much of what we do is ephemeral and quickly forgotten, even by ourselves, so it's gratifying to have something you have done linger in people's memo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/john-williams-3311_done_so-much-of-what-we-do-is-ephemeral-and-q_2884786.jpg" --- # So much of what we do is ephemeral and quickly forgotten… ![“So much of what we do is ephemeral and quickly forgotten, even by ourselves, so it's gratifying to have something you have done linger in people's memories.” quote by John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/john-williams-3311_done_so-much-of-what-we-do-is-ephemeral-and-q_2884786.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/john-williams-3311_done_so-much-of-what-we-do-is-ephemeral-and-q_2884786.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/john-williams-3311_done_so-much-of-what-we-do-is-ephemeral-and-q_2884786.jpg) > “So much of what we do is ephemeral and quickly forgotten, even by ourselves, so it's gratifying to have something you have done linger in people's memories.” [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creating lasting work that endures memory offers lasting satisfaction beyond fleeting actions. **In simple terms:** Make lasting impact. Key Takeaway Focus on enduring contributions. Themes legacy creativity memory Mood proud reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - film scoring - writing - public speaking Key Concepts artistic expression cultural impact Questions to Reflect On - What makes something memorable? - How to balance immediacy with permanence? A Different Perspective Ephemeral work may still be valuable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Ephemeral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ephemeral/) [Forgotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgotten/) [Forgotten Gratifying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgotten-gratifying-4018520/) [Gratifying Linger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratifying-linger-4018521/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-memories/) [Quickly Forgotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quickly-forgotten-2158417/) ## Related quotes > [Painful things are quickly forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-morris/painful-things-are-quickly-forgotten/) [Janet Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-morris/) > [Hardships are quickly forgotten. Intense heat, bitter cold, rain and snow, fatigue,and luckless hunting fade quickly into memories of great fellowship, thoughts of beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-bear/hardships-are-quickly-forgotten-intense-heat-bitter-cold-rain-and/) [Fred Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-bear/) > [“Apathy, or lethargy, or a combination of the two, soon casts a spell over everything and the most traumatic events are quickly forgotten.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/apathy-or-lethargy-or-a-combination-of-the-two-soon-casts-a-spell/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) > [“Most mistakes which seem huge in the heat of the moment are quickly forgotten.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/most-mistakes-which-seem-huge-in-the-heat-of-the-moment-are-quickly/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [She wondered if all the firsts in her life would go by so quickly, and be forgotten just as quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/she-wondered-if-all-the-firsts-in-her-life-would-go-by-so-quickly-and/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) > [Whatever you did in the past is quickly forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-golo-kante/whatever-you-did-in-the-past-is-quickly-forgotten/) [N'Golo Kante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-golo-kante/) > [Fear is not a good teacher. The lessons of fear are quickly forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-catherine-bateson/fear-is-not-a-good-teacher-the-lessons-of-fear-are-quickly-forgotten/) [Mary Catherine Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-catherine-bateson/) > [“We remember the truth because it has a name, is rooted in the past, but a makeshift lie is quickly forgotten.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/we-remember-the-truth-because-it-has-a-name-is-rooted-in-the-past-but/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [If you don't produce the goods, you're very quickly forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/if-you-don-t-produce-the-goods-you-re-very-quickly-forgotten/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) > [“And then after that, I guess it just became habit that they didn’t. 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Anything in the past is quickly forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane-williamson/after-playing-good-we-know-that-everything-starts-again-anything-in/) [Kane Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane-williamson/) > [Whether you reach a lot of people or have a profound impact on a few people, their memories of you are your afterlife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/whether-you-reach-a-lot-of-people-or-have-a-profound-impact-on-a-few/) [Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/) > [Songs never make people cry, the memories of the people behind them do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-day-to-remember/songs-never-make-people-cry-the-memories-of-the-people-behind-them-do/) [A Day To Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-day-to-remember/) > [Smiling with pleasure, they went through their memories, not sad, old people's memories, but poetic, youthful ones, those impressions from the very distant past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/smiling-with-pleasure-they-went-through-their-memories-not-sad-old/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Many instances exist of small children who seem to remember and describe their previous life in another body, another place, and with other people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislav-grof/many-instances-exist-of-small-children-who-seem-to-remember-and/) [Stanislav Grof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislav-grof/) ## More by John Williams > [“She was, he knew- and had known very early, he supposed- one of those rare and always lovely humans whose moral nature was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/she-was-he-knew-and-had-known-very-early-he-supposed-one-of-those/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [“What you seem so unwilling to accept, even now, is this: that the ideals which supported the old Republic had no correspondence to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/what-you-seem-so-unwilling-to-accept-even-now-is-this-that-the-ideals/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [“It's for us that the University exists, for the dispossessed of the world; not for the students, not for the selfless pursuit of knowledge,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/it-s-for-us-that-the-university-exists-for-the-dispossessed-of-the/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [I don't make a particular distinction between 'high art' and 'low art.' 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I have not looked at the 'Star Wars' films, and that's absolutely true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/i-let-it-go-i-have-not-looked-at-the-star-wars-films-and-that-s/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [You never write a theme for a movie thinking, 'This will live forever.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/you-never-write-a-theme-for-a-movie-thinking-this-will-live-forever/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [“For a few moments in the evening, then, they talked quietly and casually, as if they were old friends or exhausted enemies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/for-a-few-moments-in-the-evening-then-they-talked-quietly-and/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [Composing music is hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/composing-music-is-hard-work/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [I honestly haven't done all that counting. It always feels new and a wonderful honor to receive these things. It's a fresh feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/i-honestly-haven-t-done-all-that-counting-it-always-feels-new-and-a/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [In general, we continue to believe that local governments should not have a competitive advantage when competing with the private sector, and they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/in-general-we-continue-to-believe-that-local-governments-should-not/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [“Saying, ain’t doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/saying-ain-t-doing/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [There is no proof that carbon dioxide is causing or precedes global warming…All indications are that the minor warming cycle finished in 2001 and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/there-is-no-proof-that-carbon-dioxide-is-causing-or-precedes-global/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) [Explore all 122 John Williams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) ## More Done quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. 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But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. 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