--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Those who had been in on the night…" description: "\"“Those who had been in on the night started telling about it with a kind of quiet pride and wonder, the way people tell about seeing a big hotel fire o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/546/ken-kesey-1034_life-truths_those-who-had-been-in-on-the-night-start_2402319.png" --- # Those who had been in on the night started telling about… ![“Those who had been in on the night started telling about it with a kind of quiet pride and wonder, the way people tell about seeing a big hotel fire or a dam bursting — very solemn and respectful because the casualties aren’t even counted yet — but the longer the telling went on, the less solemn…” quote by Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/546/ken-kesey-1034_life-truths_those-who-had-been-in-on-the-night-start_2402319.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/546/ken-kesey-1034_life-truths_those-who-had-been-in-on-the-night-start_2402319.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/546/ken-kesey-1034_life-truths_those-who-had-been-in-on-the-night-start_2402319.png) > ““Those who had been in on the night started telling about it with a kind of quiet pride and wonder, the way people tell about seeing a big hotel fire or a dam bursting — very solemn and respectful because the casualties aren’t even counted yet — but the longer the telling went on, the less solemn the fellows got.”” [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People recount traumatic events with initial reverence that fades into casualness as distance grows, diminishing respect for the victims. **In simple terms:** Stories lose solemnity over time. Key Takeaway Maintain respect for suffering. Themes memory respect storytelling Mood reflective somber Type narrative observational When to use this quote - war veterans - disaster survivors - historical recounts Key Concepts psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does time alter our perception of tragedy? - What responsibilities do we have when recounting others' pain? 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