---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you remember,” he said, “and have a…"
description: "\"“If you remember,” he said, “and have a past, then you can be given the blame and be punished. See – if you don’t remember anything, you don’t have tim..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f0/peter-h-eg-3553_remember_if-you-remember-he-said-and-have-a-past_2526531.jpg"
---

#  If you remember,” he said, “and have a past, then you can…

![“If you remember,” he said, “and have a past, then you can be given the blame and be punished. See – if you don’t remember anything, you don’t have time like other people. It’s a bit like being crazy, so you get taken into protective custody. Then there’s a chance.” quote by Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f0/peter-h-eg-3553_remember_if-you-remember-he-said-and-have-a-past_2526531.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f0/peter-h-eg-3553_remember_if-you-remember-he-said-and-have-a-past_2526531.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f0/peter-h-eg-3553_remember_if-you-remember-he-said-and-have-a-past_2526531.jpg)

> ““If you remember,” he said, “and have a past, then you can be given the blame and be punished. See – if you don’t remember anything, you don’t have time like other people. It’s a bit like being crazy, so you get taken into protective custody. Then there’s a chance.””

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Forgetting can erase accountability, while remembering subjects one to blame and punishment, highlighting the paradox of memory and responsibility.

**In simple terms:** Memory ties to blame; forgetting can protect.

Key Takeaway

Consider the role of memory in accountability.

Themes

memory responsibility identity

Mood

thoughtful somber

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- court testimony
- personal recollection
- historical trauma

Key Concepts

psychology legal ethics

Questions to Reflect On

- How does memory shape guilt?
- Can forgetting be a defense?

A Different Perspective

Memory can be unreliable, leading to false judgments.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Don Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-remember/) [Past Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-given-1303858/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Remember Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember-said/) [Said Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-past-430652/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [If you never lie you don't have to remember what you said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-never-lie-you-don-t-have-to-remember-what-you-said/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I don't remember at all what was said at my college graduation, and I think that's the case for many people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-ruhle/i-don-t-remember-at-all-what-was-said-at-my-college-graduation-and-i/)

[Stephanie Ruhle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-ruhle/)

> [At the end of the day, people don't always remember what it is you said to them, but they remember how you made them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/at-the-end-of-the-day-people-don-t-always-remember-what-it-is-you/)

[Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/)

> [“The past has given us much too many bad answers for us not to see that the mistakes were in the questions themselves. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-invisible-committee/the-past-has-given-us-much-too-many-bad-answers-for-us-not-to-see/)

[The Invisible Committee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-invisible-committee/)

> [The past has been given to us. The future must be built, as others have built our past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gladys-hasty-carroll/the-past-has-been-given-to-us-the-future-must-be-built-as-others-have/)

[Gladys Hasty Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gladys-hasty-carroll/)

> [“The past has been given to us,' Miss Hester said. 'The future must be built, as others have built our past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gladys-hasty-carroll/the-past-has-been-given-to-us-miss-hester-said-the-future-must-be/)

[Gladys Hasty Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gladys-hasty-carroll/)

> [To forgive is merely to remember only the loving thoughts you gave in the past, and those that were given you. All the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/to-forgive-is-merely-to-remember-only-the-loving-thoughts-you-gave-in/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [“When she returned, she was full of life, impassioned. She seemed to want change, within herself, between them, and she believed all things were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-thien/when-she-returned-she-was-full-of-life-impassioned-she-seemed-to-want/)

[Madeleine Thien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-thien/)

> [“I met my match with you.” “Match made in heaven.” “Or hell. Depends on who you ask.” “You,” he says. “I’m asking you.” “I’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-darhower/i-met-my-match-with-you-match-made-in-heaven-or-hell-depends-on-who/)

[J.M. Darhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-darhower/)

> [I lost a girlfriend when I was in my 30s. She was 46. It all sounds so trite, but I put a Post-it on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-bond/i-lost-a-girlfriend-when-i-was-in-my-30s-she-was-46-it-all-sounds-so/)

[Samantha Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-bond/)

> [Guy Lafleur said "Each of us has only one past but there are many futures".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/guy-lafleur-said-each-of-us-has-only-one-past-but-there-are-many/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [There is nothing worse, is there," she said, "than a past that has never been fully dealt with. One can convince oneself, that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/there-is-nothing-worse-is-there-she-said-than-a-past-that-has-never/)

[Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/)

> [One of the tragedies of modern times is that people have come to believe that something said by someone in the past, perhaps for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/one-of-the-tragedies-of-modern-times-is-that-people-have-come-to/)

[Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/)

> [As I've said before and I've said it in the past...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-dalglish/as-i-ve-said-before-and-i-ve-said-it-in-the-past/)

[Kenny Dalglish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-dalglish/)

> [“Whoever said that the past isn’t dead had it backward. It’s the future that’s already dead, already played out. This whole night has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-forman/whoever-said-that-the-past-isn-t-dead-had-it-backward-it-s-the-future/)

[Gayle Forman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-forman/)

## More by Peter Høeg

> [“Time is something you have to hold on to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/time-is-something-you-have-to-hold-on-to/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [“When you are in the company of people who look down upon themselves as though they were animals, you too become like an animal.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/when-you-are-in-the-company-of-people-who-look-down-upon-themselves/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [“With age I have voluntarily chosen certain limitations. I don't have the energy to start over again. To learn new skills or fight my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/with-age-i-have-voluntarily-chosen-certain-limitations-i-don-t-have/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [“That was the way of the rule. They had so many to keep an eye on. As long as you kept a low profile,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/that-was-the-way-of-the-rule-they-had-so-many-to-keep-an-eye-on-as/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [“That was what we meant by science. That both question and answer are tied up with uncertainty, and that they are painful. But that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/that-was-what-we-meant-by-science-that-both-question-and-answer-are/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [I like him. I have a weakness for losers. Invalids, foreigners, the fat boy of the class, the ones nobody ever wants to dance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/i-like-him-i-have-a-weakness-for-losers-invalids-foreigners-the-fat/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [“There's no simple aritmetic for life's distribution of happiness and sorrow, no such thing as a standard share.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/there-s-no-simple-aritmetic-for-life-s-distribution-of-happiness-and/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [“She said she had been thinking about the way you remembered your past. What you remembered, she said, was a string of events and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/she-said-she-had-been-thinking-about-the-way-you-remembered-your-past/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [“The cookies combine butter and spices in such a way that you could eat a hundred of them and only realize how sick you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/the-cookies-combine-butter-and-spices-in-such-a-way-that-you-could/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [It's these small differences in people's karma that determine if we get up or remain lying on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/it-s-these-small-differences-in-people-s-karma-that-determine-if-we/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [There's a look of mischief in his eyes. 'Smilla. Why is it that such an elegant and petite girl like you has such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/there-s-a-look-of-mischief-in-his-eyes-smilla-why-is-it-that-such-an/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [When my mother didn't come back I realized that any moment could be the last. Nothing in life should simply be a passage from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/when-my-mother-didn-t-come-back-i-realized-that-any-moment-could-be/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [She was transparent, like a watercolor. As if she were about to dissolve in sound, in tones not yet created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/she-was-transparent-like-a-watercolor-as-if-she-were-about-to/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [“As far as I'm concerned, you could send all the cars in the world through a compactor and shoot them out through the stratosphere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/as-far-as-i-m-concerned-you-could-send-all-the-cars-in-the-world/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [I don't fall in love anymore. Just like I don't get the mumps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/i-don-t-fall-in-love-anymore-just-like-i-don-t-get-the-mumps/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

[Explore all 110 Peter Høeg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

## More Remember quotes

> [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/)

[Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/)

> [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/)

[Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/)

> [Contradictory precepts that have guided me for as long as I can remember: 1: I will live forever. 2: I will die tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/contradictory-precepts-that-have-guided-me-for-as-long-as-i-can/)

[Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/)

> [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/)

[Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/)

> [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/)

[Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [I remember that the bass was turned up slightly more on the mix from last week, and I thought that was good - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ronson/i-remember-that-the-bass-was-turned-up-slightly-more-on-the-mix-from/)

[Mark Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ronson/)

> [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/)

[St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/)

> [Memory is funny. Once you hit a vein the problem is not how to remember but how to control the flow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-wolff/memory-is-funny-once-you-hit-a-vein-the-problem-is-not-how-to/)

[Tobias Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-wolff/)

> [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/)

[Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/)

> [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/)

[Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/)

> [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/)

[Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/)

> [I am told many children block out the memory of trauma. In fact, the healing process can only truly begin when we are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-stone/i-am-told-many-children-block-out-the-memory-of-trauma-in-fact-the/)

[Phoebe Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-stone/)

[Browse all 23,344 Remember quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“If you remember,” he said, “and have a past, then you can be given the blame and be punished. See – if you don’t remember anything, you don’t have time like other people. It’s a bit like being crazy, so you get taken into protective custody. Then there’s a chance.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Peter Høeg"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/if-you-remember-he-said-and-have-a-past-then-you-can-be-given-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Remember"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/if-you-remember-he-said-and-have-a-past-then-you-can-be-given-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f0/peter-h-eg-3553_remember_if-you-remember-he-said-and-have-a-past_2526531.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f0/peter-h-eg-3553_remember_if-you-remember-he-said-and-have-a-past_2526531.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f0/peter-h-eg-3553_remember_if-you-remember-he-said-and-have-a-past_2526531.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If you remember,” he said, “and have a past, then you can be given the blame and be punished. See – if you…” — Peter Høeg",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Peter Høeg",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“If you remember,” he said, “and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/if-you-remember-he-said-and-have-a-past-then-you-can-be-given-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/if-you-remember-he-said-and-have-a-past-then-you-can-be-given-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
