--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Pretending the past doesn't exist is as…" description: "\"Pretending the past doesn't exist is as bad as living in it.\" — Nora Roberts" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/nora-roberts-128_past_pretending-the-past-doesn-t-exist-is-as_3063499.jpg" --- # Pretending the past doesn't exist is as bad as living in it. ![“Pretending the past doesn't exist is as bad as living in it.” quote by Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/nora-roberts-128_past_pretending-the-past-doesn-t-exist-is-as_3063499.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/nora-roberts-128_past_pretending-the-past-doesn-t-exist-is-as_3063499.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/nora-roberts-128_past_pretending-the-past-doesn-t-exist-is-as_3063499.jpg) > “Pretending the past doesn't exist is as bad as living in it.” [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Denial of history harms growth; confronting the past is essential for authentic living. **In simple terms:** Facing the past is vital. Key Takeaway Confront history honestly. Themes memory denial growth Mood reflective serious Type thoughtful inspirational When to use this quote - therapy - education - personal development Key Concepts psychology historical awareness Questions to Reflect On - What does ignoring the past cost? - How to heal historical wounds? A Different Perspective May overlook coping mechanisms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-living-1818416/) [Exist Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exist-bad-3177680/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past Doesn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-doesn/) [Pretending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretending/) [Pretending Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretending-past-5149224/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Good can still exist when bad things happen, just as evil persists when good things happen.” - Carter to Georgina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/good-can-still-exist-when-bad-things-happen-just-as-evil-persists/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [The lonely reality of the truth-that the most important person in your life suddenly ceased to exist. 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It's not black and white.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jeffery/good-can-exist-in-bad-and-bad-can-exist-in-good-it-s-not-black-and/) [Sarah Jeffery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jeffery/) > [Dwelling on the past is just as bad as living in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-ewing/dwelling-on-the-past-is-just-as-bad-as-living-in-it/) [Jacob Ewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-ewing/) > [“The only reason death is a bad thing is because it is bad for the living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/the-only-reason-death-is-a-bad-thing-is-because-it-is-bad-for-the/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [“Monday isn't that bad to be honest, What makes it bad is living in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/day/monday-isn-t-that-bad-to-be-honest-what-makes-it-bad-is-living-in-it/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/day/) > [It is not bad living in a monastery. I've done it many times in many lives. 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Just know that I had a long trip and I'll inform you on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livefree2dream44/my-past-doesn-t-determine-who-i-am-or-where-i-m-going-just-know-that/) [Livefree2dream44](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/livefree2dream44/) > [Sometimes you have to realize that those moments you had are in the past, but doesn't mean there can't be a future for more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-ley-della-calce/sometimes-you-have-to-realize-that-those-moments-you-had-are-in-the/) [Amber'Ley Della-Calce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-ley-della-calce/) > [The past doesn't just disappear after it's happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susane-colasanti/the-past-doesn-t-just-disappear-after-it-s-happened/) [Susane Colasanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susane-colasanti/) > [“I am touched by her life, how it moves forward, pulses and springs. There is no fragmentation, nothing stunted or wedged. I circle back,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-aboulela/i-am-touched-by-her-life-how-it-moves-forward-pulses-and-springs/) [Leila Aboulela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-aboulela/) ## More by Nora Roberts > [“Why stop now? Seduce me, Brian.I dare you." "I've always found it hard to turn aside a dare.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/why-stop-now-seduce-me-brian-i-dare-you-i-ve-always-found-it-hard-to/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Flowers that had bloomed brilliant from spring through autumn blackened under the killing frost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/flowers-that-had-bloomed-brilliant-from-spring-through-autumn/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“He's back in Maine now.She did say he badgered her with questions. Of course, she didn't have the answer until she spoke to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/he-s-back-in-maine-now-she-did-say-he-badgered-her-with-questions-of/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Every professor worth his PhD should have a fireplace in his study.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/every-professor-worth-his-phd-should-have-a-fireplace-in-his-study/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Sorry, bad wing." When Theo kissed him, surprise and pleasure flustered him. He couldn't remember the last time this boy, this young man, had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/sorry-bad-wing-when-theo-kissed-him-surprise-and-pleasure-flustered/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Because it's hard not to matter, even to someone you dislike.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/because-it-s-hard-not-to-matter-even-to-someone-you-dislike/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“No point in wishing for what you can't have. - Blair What's the point in wishing for what you can and do? - Larken”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/no-point-in-wishing-for-what-you-can-t-have-blair-what-s-the-point-in/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Grayson: Fiction is just a lie anyway. Brianna: But it's not - it's a different kind of truth - it would be your truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/grayson-fiction-is-just-a-lie-anyway-brianna-but-it-s-not-it-s-a/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“I was going to make a confession. Then I remembered I don't make them very well. We still need to see the monkeys." "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/i-was-going-to-make-a-confession-then-i-remembered-i-don-t-make-them/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [I've wanted to be with you when I didn't have the right to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/i-ve-wanted-to-be-with-you-when-i-didn-t-have-the-right-to/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [You can't write well what you don't read for pleasure. If it doesn't entertain you, it's not going to entertain anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/you-can-t-write-well-what-you-don-t-read-for-pleasure-if-it-doesn-t/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [You can't edit a blank page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/you-can-t-edit-a-blank-page/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“There was a boy down at the stables." She laughed suddenly with her back comfortably nestled against Grant's chest. "Oh,Lord,he was a bit like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/there-was-a-boy-down-at-the-stables-she-laughed-suddenly-with-her/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Some people refuse to take the next step. You could refuse to take what you wanted most, because you're afraid someday you might lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/some-people-refuse-to-take-the-next-step-you-could-refuse-to-take/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Oh, i'm going to kick his ass, and when i'm done, i'm going to squeeze his balls blue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/oh-i-m-going-to-kick-his-ass-and-when-i-m-done-i-m-going-to-squeeze/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) [Explore all 1,138 Nora Roberts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) ## 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. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [You can think about it, wonder what went wrong, over analyze the situation but the fact remains... it's the past, just let it go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/you-can-think-about-it-wonder-what-went-wrong-over-analyze-the/) [Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/) > [The Iranian people have a proud past. They merit a great future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/the-iranian-people-have-a-proud-past-they-merit-a-great-future/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I used to fight with hate. There's been a lot of aggression in my past growing up and stuff. That's because I was hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-namajunas/i-used-to-fight-with-hate-there-s-been-a-lot-of-aggression-in-my-past/) [Rose Namajunas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-namajunas/) > [In the past 40 years, the United States lost more than a million farmers and ranchers. Many of our farmers are aging. Today, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/in-the-past-40-years-the-united-states-lost-more-than-a-million/) [Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/) > [Nostalgia keeps dissolving the ironic narratives in which I have contained my past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/nostalgia-keeps-dissolving-the-ironic-narratives-in-which-i-have/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Above Coblentz almost every mountain has a ruin and a legend. One feels everywhere the spirit of the past, and its stirring recollections come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-taylor/above-coblentz-almost-every-mountain-has-a-ruin-and-a-legend-one/) [Bayard Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-taylor/) > [Time is painted with a lock before, and bald behind, signifying thereby that we must take time by the forelock; for, when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/time-is-painted-with-a-lock-before-and-bald-behind-signifying-thereby/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [Right before the pandemic, 'Past Lives' came across to me as something to read and possibly put myself on tape for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-faist/right-before-the-pandemic-past-lives-came-across-to-me-as-something/) [Mike Faist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-faist/) > [I nibbled my lower lip. "If you could see into my past just by touching my back, you'd have a hard time resisting the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/i-nibbled-my-lower-lip-if-you-could-see-into-my-past-just-by-touching/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [Liberalism is the philosophy for our time, because it does not try to conserve every tradition of the past, because it does not apply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/liberalism-is-the-philosophy-for-our-time-because-it-does-not-try-to/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [I have a way to photograph. 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