--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The river can go back over the past and…" description: "\"“The river can go back over the past and bring it all up and spit it out on the banks in full view of everyone, but people can’t.”\" — Paula Hawkins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/paula-hawkins-9343_past_the-river-can-go-back-over-the-past-and_2519358.jpg" --- # The river can go back over the past and bring it all up… ![“The river can go back over the past and bring it all up and spit it out on the banks in full view of everyone, but people can’t.” quote by Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/paula-hawkins-9343_past_the-river-can-go-back-over-the-past-and_2519358.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/paula-hawkins-9343_past_the-river-can-go-back-over-the-past-and_2519358.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/paula-hawkins-9343_past_the-river-can-go-back-over-the-past-and_2519358.jpg) > ““The river can go back over the past and bring it all up and spit it out on the banks in full view of everyone, but people can’t.”” [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The river can expose hidden past, but people cannot reveal their own secrets. **In simple terms:** Rivers reveal past; people hide theirs. Key Takeaway Acknowledge that truth may stay hidden. Themes secrets memory exposure Mood somber thoughtful Type literary psychological When to use this quote - investigations - personal reflection - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology human nature Questions to Reflect On - What prevents people from exposing their past? - How does hidden history affect present actions? A Different Perspective People may resist confronting past truths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [River](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/river/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Discover how to visit the past and bring yesterday's stories into our lives today”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-hovell/discover-how-to-visit-the-past-and-bring-yesterday-s-stories-into-our/) Gillian Hovell > [Never let the experiences of your past bring harm to your future. Remember, your past cant be altered and your future just doesnt deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-let-the-experiences-of-your-past-bring-harm-to-your-future-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is no past that we can bring back by longing for it. There is only an eternally new now that builds and creates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/there-is-no-past-that-we-can-bring-back-by-longing-for-it-there-is/) [Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Innovation is often the ability to reach into the past and bring back what is good, what is beautiful, what is useful, what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sister-parish/innovation-is-often-the-ability-to-reach-into-the-past-and-bring-back/) [Sister Parish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sister-parish/) > [Never let the experiences of your past bring harm to your future. Remember, your past can't be altered and your future just doesn't deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-let-the-experiences-of-your-past-bring-harm-to-your-future/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is no past that we can bring back by longing for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/there-is-no-past-that-we-can-bring-back-by-longing-for-it/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [“Mungu akikubariki kipaji chako watu watasema ni laana. Maisha yako ni sawa na mto. Unakoelekea ni baharini. Lakini sasa umefika kwenye mlango wa bahari.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/mungu-akikubariki-kipaji-chako-watu-watasema-ni-laana-maisha-yako-ni/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > [I've never been far from the river. I'm sort of like a Thames-nymph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-dormer/i-ve-never-been-far-from-the-river-i-m-sort-of-like-a-thames-nymph/) [Natalie Dormer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-dormer/) > [I always like to look for adventure when I go away. I have gone on several horse adventures with my wife - from Guangxi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-gormley/i-always-like-to-look-for-adventure-when-i-go-away-i-have-gone-on/) [Antony Gormley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-gormley/) > [Life is like the ocean. It can be calm and still or rough and rigid but in the end, it is always beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-like-the-ocean-it-can-be-calm-and-still-or-rough-and-rigid/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It’s a big ocean crossed by busy ships. I went slowly, observing much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/it-s-a-big-ocean-crossed-by-busy-ships-i-went-slowly-observing-much/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [One of the unique things is that whether we were out at sea or in the middle of the water tank, a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-reilly/one-of-the-unique-things-is-that-whether-we-were-out-at-sea-or-in-the/) [John C. Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-reilly/) > [“The river itself is not a hundred yards across, and pa and Vernon and Vardaman and Dewey Dell are the only things in sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/the-river-itself-is-not-a-hundred-yards-across-and-pa-and-vernon-and/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Somehow the river is louder when you cover your ears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niall-williams/somehow-the-river-is-louder-when-you-cover-your-ears/) [Niall Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niall-williams/) > [The least unhappy persons do, in so fickle and so tempestuous a sea as this world, meet with many more either cross winds or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-boyle/the-least-unhappy-persons-do-in-so-fickle-and-so-tempestuous-a-sea-as/) [Robert Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-boyle/) ## More by Paula Hawkins > [“It’s less acceptable to drink on the train on a Monday,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-hawkins/it-s-less-acceptable-to-drink-on-the-train-on-a-monday/) [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) > [“I am not the girl I used to be...it's as if people can see the damage written all over me, can see it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-hawkins/i-am-not-the-girl-i-used-to-be-it-s-as-if-people-can-see-the-damage/) [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) > [“She felt it when she woke, not a presence but an absence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-hawkins/she-felt-it-when-she-woke-not-a-presence-but-an-absence/) [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) > [“Beautiful sunshine, cloudless skies, no one to play with, nothing to do. Living like this, the way I'm living at the moment, is harder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-hawkins/beautiful-sunshine-cloudless-skies-no-one-to-play-with-nothing-to-do/) [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) > [“I want to drag knives over my skin, just to feel something other than shame, but I'm not even brave enough for that”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-hawkins/i-want-to-drag-knives-over-my-skin-just-to-feel-something-other-than/) [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) > [“I forgot to feel what I was supposed to be feeling...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-hawkins/i-forgot-to-feel-what-i-was-supposed-to-be-feeling/) [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) > [“gardens over. One of them was crying—maybe they both were—and there was a child bawling its head off,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-hawkins/gardens-over-one-of-them-was-crying-maybe-they-both-were-and-there/) [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) > [“The things I want to remember I can't, and the things I try so hard to forget just keep coming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-hawkins/the-things-i-want-to-remember-i-can-t-and-the-things-i-try-so-hard-to/) [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) > [“the author claimed that blacking out wasn’t simply a matter of forgetting what had happened, but having no memories to forget in the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-hawkins/the-author-claimed-that-blacking-out-wasn-t-simply-a-matter-of/) [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) > [“LA VIE N’EST PAS UN PARAGRAPHE.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-hawkins/la-vie-n-est-pas-un-paragraphe/) [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) > [“me thinking straight. I take a shower, get dressed and make another cup of coffee, and then I sit down in the living room,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-hawkins/me-thinking-straight-i-take-a-shower-get-dressed-and-make-another-cup/) [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) > [“Something felt off, but I realized eventually that it was just me. Still,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-hawkins/something-felt-off-but-i-realized-eventually-that-it-was-just-me-still/) [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) > [“the holes in your life are permanent. You have to grow around them, like tree roots around concrete; you mould yourself through the gaps.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-hawkins/the-holes-in-your-life-are-permanent-you-have-to-grow-around-them/) [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) > [“I don't remember things. I black out and I can't remember where I've been or what I've done. Sometimes I wonder if I've done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-hawkins/i-don-t-remember-things-i-black-out-and-i-can-t-remember-where-i-ve/) [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) > [“Some days I feel so bad that I have to drink; some days I feel so bad that I can’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-hawkins/some-days-i-feel-so-bad-that-i-have-to-drink-some-days-i-feel-so-bad/) [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) [Explore all 64 Paula Hawkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) ## 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. 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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. 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