--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He had a theory about it. It happened…" description: "\"“He had a theory about it. It happened, and re-happened, because it was a city uninterested in history. Strange things occurred precisely because there..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/mccann-colum-261728_history_he-had-a-theory-about-it-it-happened-and_3081204.jpg" --- # He had a theory about it. It happened, and re-happened… ![“He had a theory about it. It happened, and re-happened, because it was a city uninterested in history. Strange things occurred precisely because there was no necessary regard for the past. The city lived in a sort of everyday present. It had no need to believe in itself as a London, or an Athens…” quote by Mccann Colum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/mccann-colum-261728_history_he-had-a-theory-about-it-it-happened-and_3081204.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/mccann-colum-261728_history_he-had-a-theory-about-it-it-happened-and_3081204.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/mccann-colum-261728_history_he-had-a-theory-about-it-it-happened-and_3081204.jpg) > ““He had a theory about it. It happened, and re-happened, because it was a city uninterested in history. Strange things occurred precisely because there was no necessary regard for the past. The city lived in a sort of everyday present. It had no need to believe in itself as a London, or an Athens, or even a signifier of the New World, like a Sydney, or a Los Angeles. No, the city couldn't care less about where it stood. He had seen a t-shirt once that said: New York F\*\*\*in City. As of it were the only place that ever existed and the only one that ever would.”” [Mccann Colum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mccann-colum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cities that ignore their past become present‑focused, allowing any event to happen without historical constraints. **In simple terms:** Cities ignoring history live in the present. Key Takeaway Consider history’s role in shaping places. Themes history urbanism identity memory change Mood contemplative critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - urban planning - education - tourism - media analysis Key Concepts sociology philosophy cultural studies Questions to Reflect On - What does a city gain by remembering its past? - How does collective memory influence urban identity? A Different Perspective Neglecting history can repeat past mistakes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happened City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happened-city-5006842/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-strange-2804651/) [Los angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/los-angeles/) [Past City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-city-3801744/) [Place Existed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/place-existed-1563810/) [Theory Happened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory-happened-5256316/) ## Related quotes > [“One of those out-of-the-ordinary days that made sense of the slew of ordinary days. New York had a way of doing that. Every now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/one-of-those-out-of-the-ordinary-days-that-made-sense-of-the-slew-of/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [“History is a strange creature. 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