--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Apathy, or lethargy, or a combination of…" description: "\"“Apathy, or lethargy, or a combination of the two, soon casts a spell over everything and the most traumatic events are quickly forgotten.”\" — Ruskin Bond" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/ruskin-bond-1864_apathy_apathy-or-lethargy-or-a-combination-of-t_3069082.jpg" --- # Apathy, or lethargy, or a combination of the two, soon… ![“Apathy, or lethargy, or a combination of the two, soon casts a spell over everything and the most traumatic events are quickly forgotten.” quote by Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/ruskin-bond-1864_apathy_apathy-or-lethargy-or-a-combination-of-t_3069082.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/ruskin-bond-1864_apathy_apathy-or-lethargy-or-a-combination-of-t_3069082.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/ruskin-bond-1864_apathy_apathy-or-lethargy-or-a-combination-of-t_3069082.jpg) > ““Apathy, or lethargy, or a combination of the two, soon casts a spell over everything and the most traumatic events are quickly forgotten.”” [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Apathy and lethargy numb perception, causing even traumatic events to fade quickly from memory. **In simple terms:** Lack of feeling erases painful memories. Key Takeaway Stay engaged to remember fully. Themes memory trauma apathy Mood reflective somber Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - grief processing - mental health - personal reflection - coping with loss Key Concepts psychology emotional numbness Questions to Reflect On - Why does apathy erase trauma? - Can awareness prevent emotional numbness? A Different Perspective May romanticize forgetting pain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apathy/) [Apathy Lethargy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apathy-lethargy-5183386/) [Lethargy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lethargy/) [Quickly Forgotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quickly-forgotten-2158417/) [Spell Traumatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spell-traumatic-5183387/) ## Related quotes > [No matter what, we always have the power to choose hope over despair, engagement over apathy, kindness over indifference, enthusiasm over lethargy, love over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-booker/no-matter-what-we-always-have-the-power-to-choose-hope-over-despair/) [Cory Booker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-booker/) > [Hardships are quickly forgotten. Intense heat, bitter cold, rain and snow, fatigue,and luckless hunting fade quickly into memories of great fellowship, thoughts of beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-bear/hardships-are-quickly-forgotten-intense-heat-bitter-cold-rain-and/) [Fred Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-bear/) > [So much of what we do is ephemeral and quickly forgotten, even by ourselves, so it's gratifying to have something you have done linger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/so-much-of-what-we-do-is-ephemeral-and-quickly-forgotten-even-by/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [“Most mistakes which seem huge in the heat of the moment are quickly forgotten.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/most-mistakes-which-seem-huge-in-the-heat-of-the-moment-are-quickly/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [She wondered if all the firsts in her life would go by so quickly, and be forgotten just as quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/she-wondered-if-all-the-firsts-in-her-life-would-go-by-so-quickly-and/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) > [Whatever you did in the past is quickly forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-golo-kante/whatever-you-did-in-the-past-is-quickly-forgotten/) [N'Golo Kante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-golo-kante/) > [Fear is not a good teacher. The lessons of fear are quickly forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-catherine-bateson/fear-is-not-a-good-teacher-the-lessons-of-fear-are-quickly-forgotten/) [Mary Catherine Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-catherine-bateson/) > [“We remember the truth because it has a name, is rooted in the past, but a makeshift lie is quickly forgotten.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/we-remember-the-truth-because-it-has-a-name-is-rooted-in-the-past-but/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [If you don't produce the goods, you're very quickly forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/if-you-don-t-produce-the-goods-you-re-very-quickly-forgotten/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) > [“And then after that, I guess it just became habit that they didn’t. It seemed like people could revise who you were very quickly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-then-after-that-i-guess-it-just-became-habit-that-they-didn-t-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [After playing good, we know that everything starts again. Anything in the past is quickly forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane-williamson/after-playing-good-we-know-that-everything-starts-again-anything-in/) [Kane Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane-williamson/) > [Painful things are quickly forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-morris/painful-things-are-quickly-forgotten/) [Janet Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-morris/) > [ \[The sceptic\] must acknowledge, if he will acknowledge any thing, that all human life must perish, were his principles to prevail.All discourse, all action… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-sceptic-must-acknowledge-if-he-will-acknowledge-any-thing-that/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [The problem with lethargy is that doing nothing validates the fear that nothing can be done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-crawford/the-problem-with-lethargy-is-that-doing-nothing-validates-the-fear/) [Bill Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-crawford/) > [What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-country-can-preserve-its-liberties-if-its-rulers-are-not-warned/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More by Ruskin Bond > ['live long my friend,be wise and strong, but do not take from any man his song'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/live-long-my-friend-be-wise-and-strong-but-do-not-take-from-any-man/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) > [Unhappy and unsettled childhood helps in writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/unhappy-and-unsettled-childhood-helps-in-writing/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) > [“As Grandfather used to say, 'In a crowd, everyone plays follow-the leader, even when they don't know who's leading.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/as-grandfather-used-to-say-in-a-crowd-everyone-plays-follow-the/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) > [I don't travel so much now, I get tired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/i-don-t-travel-so-much-now-i-get-tired/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) > [I was a bookworm in school, and in those days it was easy to get books. Bigger cities had book shops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/i-was-a-bookworm-in-school-and-in-those-days-it-was-easy-to-get-books/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) > [I won't usually just sit down to write. I'd have done it in my head already. I visualise a story just like a film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/i-won-t-usually-just-sit-down-to-write-i-d-have-done-it-in-my-head/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) > [There was Uncle Ken of mine about whom I wrote a lot of stories. I can always write stories about uncles and aunts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/there-was-uncle-ken-of-mine-about-whom-i-wrote-a-lot-of-stories-i-can/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) > [“All of us need just one good accomplishment in order to get by. Obviously he can't spend the rest of his life climbing trees,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/all-of-us-need-just-one-good-accomplishment-in-order-to-get-by/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) > [I get inspiration from a lot of things around me - nature, hills, people, and even insects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/i-get-inspiration-from-a-lot-of-things-around-me-nature-hills-people/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) > [I fortunately have a good memor, and that helps a lot in the way I write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/i-fortunately-have-a-good-memor-and-that-helps-a-lot-in-the-way-i/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) > [“Nandprayag is a place that ought to be famous for its beauty and order. For a mile or two before reaching it we had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/nandprayag-is-a-place-that-ought-to-be-famous-for-its-beauty-and/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) > [I had a bad habit of falling in love with any girl who was nice to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/i-had-a-bad-habit-of-falling-in-love-with-any-girl-who-was-nice-to-me/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) > [I did all kind of jobs to sustain myself. I worked at a grocery store, in the public health department, and what was then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/i-did-all-kind-of-jobs-to-sustain-myself-i-worked-at-a-grocery-store/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) > [But the trees seemed to know me. They whispered among themselves and beckoned me nearer. And looking around, I noticed the other small trees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/but-the-trees-seemed-to-know-me-they-whispered-among-themselves-and/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) > [“A good monk would know that contentment is easier to attain than happiness, and that it is enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/a-good-monk-would-know-that-contentment-is-easier-to-attain-than/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) [Explore all 199 Ruskin Bond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) ## More Apathy quotes > [If possible, I want to hear POLITICS defined without either sympathy or apathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/if-possible-i-want-to-hear-politics-defined-without-either-sympathy/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [One response was given by the innkeeper when Mary and Joseph wanted to find a room where the Child could be born. The innkeeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/one-response-was-given-by-the-innkeeper-when-mary-and-joseph-wanted/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Try to greet troubles with apathy. Hello's are never what they used to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-swellers/try-to-greet-troubles-with-apathy-hello-s-are-never-what-they-used-to/) [The Swellers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-swellers/) > [Apathy can be overcome by enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-j-toynbee/apathy-can-be-overcome-by-enthusiasm/) [Arnold J. Toynbee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-j-toynbee/) > [Indifference must be a crime in us, to be ranked but one degree below treachery; for deserting the commonwealth is next to betraying it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-st-john-1st-viscount-bolingbroke/indifference-must-be-a-crime-in-us-to-be-ranked-but-one-degree-below/) [Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-st-john-1st-viscount-bolingbroke/) > [Insect politics, indifferent universe. Bang your head against the wall, but apathy is worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-henley/insect-politics-indifferent-universe-bang-your-head-against-the-wall/) [Don Henley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-henley/) > [“And there's a freedom in apathy, a wild, dizzying liberation on which you can almost get drunk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/and-there-s-a-freedom-in-apathy-a-wild-dizzying-liberation-on-which/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [For he who is not deaf, half a silence is enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-malfatti/for-he-who-is-not-deaf-half-a-silence-is-enough/) [Jean-Paul Malfatti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-malfatti/) > [“Just because a person is silent doesn’t mean there’s no message.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/just-because-a-person-is-silent-doesn-t-mean-there-s-no-message/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“If someone with a high level of authority were to ask me, "Suzy, how can we make people so incredibly stupid and apathetic, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/if-someone-with-a-high-level-of-authority-were-to-ask-me-suzy-how-can/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“It takes more than one kick in the pants to reverse a lifetime of unplanned apathy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-neilan/it-takes-more-than-one-kick-in-the-pants-to-reverse-a-lifetime-of/) [Paul Neilan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-neilan/) > [“Use the apathy of your logic to solve your problems and then the passion of your soul to enjoy life after that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelos-michalopoulos/use-the-apathy-of-your-logic-to-solve-your-problems-and-then-the/) [Angelos Michalopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelos-michalopoulos/) > [“The fundamental basis by which the court’s decision might be made is, in itself, imperfect and subject to contradictions. There is very little consideration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashim-shanker/the-fundamental-basis-by-which-the-court-s-decision-might-be-made-is/) [Ashim Shanker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashim-shanker/) > [“The young woman had read a good many novels, and she had seen a good many films; this education by newspaper, serial and film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-renard/the-young-woman-had-read-a-good-many-novels-and-she-had-seen-a-good/) [Maurice Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-renard/) > [Mourn not the dead that in the cool earth lie... But rather mourn the apathetic throng - The cowed and the meek - Who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-chaplin/mourn-not-the-dead-that-in-the-cool-earth-lie-but-rather-mourn-the/) [Ralph Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-chaplin/) [Browse all 619 Apathy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apathy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Apathy, or lethargy, or a combination of the two, soon casts a spell over everything and the most traumatic events are quickly forgotten.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ruskin Bond" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/apathy-or-lethargy-or-a-combination-of-the-two-soon-casts-a-spell/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Apathy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/apathy-or-lethargy-or-a-combination-of-the-two-soon-casts-a-spell/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/ruskin-bond-1864_apathy_apathy-or-lethargy-or-a-combination-of-t_3069082.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/ruskin-bond-1864_apathy_apathy-or-lethargy-or-a-combination-of-t_3069082.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/ruskin-bond-1864_apathy_apathy-or-lethargy-or-a-combination-of-t_3069082.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Apathy, or lethargy, or a combination of the two, soon casts a spell over everything and the most traumatic…” — Ruskin Bond", "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": "Ruskin Bond", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Apathy, or lethargy, or a combination...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/apathy-or-lethargy-or-a-combination-of-the-two-soon-casts-a-spell/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/apathy-or-lethargy-or-a-combination-of-the-two-soon-casts-a-spell/#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 } } ] } ```