--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's an ethical pact I've made with…" description: "\"It's an ethical pact I've made with myself and with the reader - not to invent. And when I can't remember, I say I can't remember. I'm just appalled by..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6b/paul-auster-351_books_it-s-an-ethical-pact-i-ve-made-with-myse_940616.jpg" --- # It's an ethical pact I've made with myself and with the… ![“It's an ethical pact I've made with myself and with the reader - not to invent. And when I can't remember, I say I can't remember. I'm just appalled by the memoirs published by people who regurgitate dialogue, conversations from when they were small children, and they go on for three or four…” quote by Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6b/paul-auster-351_books_it-s-an-ethical-pact-i-ve-made-with-myse_940616.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6b/paul-auster-351_books_it-s-an-ethical-pact-i-ve-made-with-myse_940616.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6b/paul-auster-351_books_it-s-an-ethical-pact-i-ve-made-with-myse_940616.jpg) > “It's an ethical pact I've made with myself and with the reader - not to invent. And when I can't remember, I say I can't remember. I'm just appalled by the memoirs published by people who regurgitate dialogue, conversations from when they were small children, and they go on for three or four pages. I can't even remember what we said to each other ten minutes ago! How can I remember what was said sixty years ago? It's not possible.” [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author stresses honesty, refusing to fabricate memories and acknowledging the limits of recollection. **In simple terms:** Be truthful, admit when you don’t remember. Key Takeaway Accept memory limits, avoid false details. Themes honesty memory authenticity Mood reflective critical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - journalism - creative nonfiction - personal essays Key Concepts ethical writing self‑discipline Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide what to omit when memory fails? - What strategies help preserve factual integrity? A Different Perspective Recognizing memory’s fallibility can undermine credibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Memoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memoir/) [Memoirs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memoirs/) [Pact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pact/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Small child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-child/) ## Related quotes > [A long long time ago, I can still remember how that music use to make me smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mclean/a-long-long-time-ago-i-can-still-remember-how-that-music-use-to-make/) [Don McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mclean/) > [I came in 11 years ago. 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