Forgetting Quote by Manolis Glezos
““Why do I go on? Why I am doing this when I am 92 years and two months old? I could, after all, be sitting on a sofa in slippers with my feet up. So why do I do this? You think the man sitting opposite you is Manolis but you are wrong. I am not him. And I am not him because I have not forgotten that every time someone was about to be executed [during WWII], they said: 'Don't forget me. When you say good morning, think of me. When you raise a glass, say my name.' And that is what I am doing talking to you, or doing any of this. The man you see before you is all those people. And all this is about not forgetting them.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Testimony of Manolis Glezos, 2023 interview
He speaks to honor victims of WWII, refusing to let their memory fade, using personal narrative as a vessel for collective remembrance.
In simple terms: He keeps the dead alive by remembering them.
Key Takeaway
Remember and speak for those forgotten.
Themes
memory
history
responsibility
humanity
Mood
reflective
somber
Type
testimonial
philosophical
When to use this quote
- interviews
- public speaking
- memorial events
Key Concepts
collective remembrance
ethical duty
personal narrative
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you keep others' stories alive?
- What responsibilities do survivors have?
A Different Perspective
Memory alone cannot heal trauma; action is needed.
