--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The past is still, for us, a place that…" description: "\"The past is still, for us, a place that is not safely settled.\" — Michael Ondaatje" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab8/michael-ondaatje-940_past_the-past-is-still-for-us-a-place-that-is_375622.png" --- # The past is still, for us, a place that is not safely… ![“The past is still, for us, a place that is not safely settled.” quote by Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab8/michael-ondaatje-940_past_the-past-is-still-for-us-a-place-that-is_375622.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab8/michael-ondaatje-940_past_the-past-is-still-for-us-a-place-that-is_375622.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab8/michael-ondaatje-940_past_the-past-is-still-for-us-a-place-that-is_375622.png) > “The past is still, for us, a place that is not safely settled.” [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The past remains unsettled, a lingering space that resists closure, influencing current experience. **In simple terms:** The past is an unsettled place. Key Takeaway Seek closure, understand its impact. Themes memory unresolved past psychology Mood introspective thoughtful Type psychological literary When to use this quote - therapy - historical research - personal healing Key Concepts trauma narrative memory Questions to Reflect On - What unresolved past issues affect you today? - How can you create a sense of settlement? A Different Perspective Past may dominate present if unaddressed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“The past is a place we can visit but cannot live there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-izad/the-past-is-a-place-we-can-visit-but-cannot-live-there/) Sam Izad > [“The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence; the past is a place of learning, not a place of living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-t-bennett/the-past-is-a-place-of-reference-not-a-place-of-residence-the-past-is/) [Roy T. Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-t-bennett/) > [The past is the place we view the present from as much as the other way around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-past-is-the-place-we-view-the-present-from-as-much-as-the-other/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“Our past can control today and tomorrow only to the degree we allow it. The past should not be a place where we dwell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-augustine/our-past-can-control-today-and-tomorrow-only-to-the-degree-we-allow/) [Sue Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-augustine/) > [One of the reasons for going back into the past is that it's almost the only place that there's any drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-towne/one-of-the-reasons-for-going-back-into-the-past-is-that-it-s-almost/) [Robert Towne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-towne/) > [Load up your mind with pictures capturing your preferred tomorrow. Put the remembrances of the past in a place where they won't block your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/load-up-your-mind-with-pictures-capturing-your-preferred-tomorrow-put/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [“For anyone who wanted to throw away his watch, along with his past, this was the place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-kopman-owens/for-anyone-who-wanted-to-throw-away-his-watch-along-with-his-past/) [Peggy Kopman-Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-kopman-owens/) > [“The past is not a place I like to visit. This project is forcing me to go there, to tidy up my thoughts. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bono/the-past-is-not-a-place-i-like-to-visit-this-project-is-forcing-me-to/) [Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bono/) > [The past is a place you can learn from, not a place you want to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/the-past-is-a-place-you-can-learn-from-not-a-place-you-want-to-live/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Sometimes you have to find the good in goodbye. The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence. Getting over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-have-to-find-the-good-in-goodbye-the-past-is-a-place-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“looking off at the past as though it were a place one might still get to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathie-pelletier/looking-off-at-the-past-as-though-it-were-a-place-one-might-still-get/) [Cathie Pelletier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathie-pelletier/) > [The Past is a Place of 'REFERENCE'à Not a Place of RESIDENCE.!!!!à KEEP IT MOVING!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-past-is-a-place-of-reference-a-not-a-place-of-residence-a-keep-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“People from the past belong to the past not to the place which you're heading”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-from-the-past-belong-to-the-past-not-to-the-place-which-you-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The past should not be a place where we live, but something from which we learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stormie-omartian/the-past-should-not-be-a-place-where-we-live-but-something-from-which/) [Stormie Omartian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stormie-omartian/) > [“...the past/that has a place for us will know us by our scattered wake." A History Play, Waterborne ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-gregerson/the-past-that-has-a-place-for-us-will-know-us-by-our-scattered-wake-a/) Linda Gregerson ## More by Michael Ondaatje > [“In spite of this, our table's status on the Oronsay continued to be minimal, while those at the Captain's Table were constantly toasting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/in-spite-of-this-our-table-s-status-on-the-oronsay-continued-to-be/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [He will hear the rain before he feels it, a clicking on the dry grass, on the olive leaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/he-will-hear-the-rain-before-he-feels-it-a-clicking-on-the-dry-grass/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [“Whenever her father was alone with a dog in a house he would lean over and smell the skin at the base of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/whenever-her-father-was-alone-with-a-dog-in-a-house-he-would-lean/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [“...those who had risked everything at a riverbend on a left turn and so discovered a fortune.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/those-who-had-risked-everything-at-a-riverbend-on-a-left-turn-and-so/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [“All over the world there must be people like us, Anna had said then, wounded in some way by falling in love - seemingly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/all-over-the-world-there-must-be-people-like-us-anna-had-said-then/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [Her father had taught her about hands. 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On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/the-time-around-scars-a-girl-whom-i-ve-not-spoken-to-or-shared-coffee/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [“- Daca ti-as incredinta viata mea, ai scapa-o pe jos. Nu-i asa?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/daca-ti-as-incredinta-viata-mea-ai-scapa-o-pe-jos-nu-i-asa/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) [Explore all 322 Michael Ondaatje quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) ## More Past quotes > [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. 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