--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think we can remember our past without…" description: "\"I think we can remember our past without valorizing parts of our past that we ought to see as wrong.\" — Russell D. Moore" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/russell-d-moore-15349_ought_i-think-we-can-remember-our-past-without_2553676.png" --- # I think we can remember our past without valorizing parts… ![“I think we can remember our past without valorizing parts of our past that we ought to see as wrong.” quote by Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/russell-d-moore-15349_ought_i-think-we-can-remember-our-past-without_2553676.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/russell-d-moore-15349_ought_i-think-we-can-remember-our-past-without_2553676.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/russell-d-moore-15349_ought_i-think-we-can-remember-our-past-without_2553676.png) > “I think we can remember our past without valorizing parts of our past that we ought to see as wrong.” [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We can recall history without glorifying its wrong parts, acknowledging mistakes while learning. **In simple terms:** Remember history, but don’t glorify its errors. Key Takeaway Learn from past mistakes. Themes history memory ethics Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - education - policy making - personal growth Key Concepts critical reflection humility Questions to Reflect On - Which historical events need honest re‑examination? - How can we honor victims while confronting past wrongs? A Different Perspective Risk of erasing valuable lessons if too dismissive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Our past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-past/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [You know that old phrase ‘Those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it’? Well, I think those who remember the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/you-know-that-old-phrase-those-who-don-t-remember-the-past-are/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Remember your past mistakes just long enough to profit by them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-d-mckinnon/remember-your-past-mistakes-just-long-enough-to-profit-by-them/) Clinton D. McKinnon > [Don't swear at your past; you couldn't existed without it! It is the only path to reach today and tomorrow! Remember that past is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/don-t-swear-at-your-past-you-couldn-t-existed-without-it-it-is-the/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [If you remember your past too well you start blaming your present for it. Look what they did to me, that's what caused me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/if-you-remember-your-past-too-well-you-start-blaming-your-present-for/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [I love the past. There are parts of the past I hate, of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/i-love-the-past-there-are-parts-of-the-past-i-hate-of-course/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [I can face anything, except the future, and certain parts of the past and present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-brilliant/i-can-face-anything-except-the-future-and-certain-parts-of-the-past/) [Ashleigh Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-brilliant/) > [“All of our lives are important, even the parts of our past that we have ignored, downplayed, or forgotten. If we open the door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-j-martin/all-of-our-lives-are-important-even-the-parts-of-our-past-that-we/) [James J. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-j-martin/) > [“She knew there were parts of the past you had to let go of, certain lands that were irredeemably lost, sorrowfully lost, but, finally,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-goolrick/she-knew-there-were-parts-of-the-past-you-had-to-let-go-of-certain/) [Robert Goolrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-goolrick/) > [I can't erase the parts of the past that made me who I am today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-can-t-erase-the-parts-of-the-past-that-made-me-who-i-am-today/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We have to own even the darkest parts of our past, understand them and vow never to repeat them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ketanji-brown-jackson/we-have-to-own-even-the-darkest-parts-of-our-past-understand-them-and/) [Ketanji Brown Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ketanji-brown-jackson/) > [“I dream in tunnel vision, I think. I remember in tunnel vision, I think. The question remains, when my tunnel vision goes, as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-knighton/i-dream-in-tunnel-vision-i-think-i-remember-in-tunnel-vision-i-think/) [Ryan Knighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-knighton/) > [I'm doing my best to remember how you made me happy, but every time I think of you, all I can remember is how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-doing-my-best-to-remember-how-you-made-me-happy-but-every-time-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I do not think we remember our family in any real sense. We live in them instead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-enright/i-do-not-think-we-remember-our-family-in-any-real-sense-we-live-in/) [Anne Enright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-enright/) > [History is not what you think. It is what you can remember.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-c-sellar/history-is-not-what-you-think-it-is-what-you-can-remember/) [W. C. Sellar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-c-sellar/) > [I think you remember certain phrases from bad reviews. You don't remember all the bad reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-think-you-remember-certain-phrases-from-bad-reviews-you-don-t/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) ## More by Russell D. Moore > [“Jim Crow repeated the old strategies of the reptilian powers of the air: to convince human beings simultaneously and paradoxically that they are gods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/jim-crow-repeated-the-old-strategies-of-the-reptilian-powers-of-the/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [“It's hard to imagine a more biblical definition of devil worship than an exaltation of the self, an exaltation of the ego, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/it-s-hard-to-imagine-a-more-biblical-definition-of-devil-worship-than/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [“In the New Testament, we don't find our gift through self-examination and introspection and then find ways to express it. Instead, we love one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/in-the-new-testament-we-don-t-find-our-gift-through-self-examination/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [“If you’d like to grasp the full beauty of God’s creation, see color. Instead of pretending like we are color-blind, let’s celebrate God’s creation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/if-you-d-like-to-grasp-the-full-beauty-of-god-s-creation-see-color/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [Ultimately, the transgender question is about more than just sex. It's about what it means to be human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/ultimately-the-transgender-question-is-about-more-than-just-sex-it-s/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [ I heard someone say that concern over the \[Confederate\] Flag is sensitivity to micro-aggressions, to which my response is to say that kidnapping and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/i-heard-someone-say-that-concern-over-the-confederate-flag-is/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [The assumption that the larger culture agrees with Christians on values issues led to evangelicals' minimizing the theologically distinctive aspects of Christian witness. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/the-assumption-that-the-larger-culture-agrees-with-christians-on/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [I think Confederate Battle Flag is a symbol that causes a great deal of division and reminds us of a really hurtful legacy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/i-think-confederate-battle-flag-is-a-symbol-that-causes-a-great-deal/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [“The demonic powers hate babies because they hate Jesus. When they destroy “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40, 45), the most vulnerable among us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/the-demonic-powers-hate-babies-because-they-hate-jesus-when-they/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [Charleston was where America split apart in 1861. Maybe it's where America comes together in 2015.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/charleston-was-where-america-split-apart-in-1861-maybe-it-s-where/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [“It’s not that Jesus is the copy of Israel coming out of Egypt, but that Israel coming out of Egypt was the copy—in advance—of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/it-s-not-that-jesus-is-the-copy-of-israel-coming-out-of-egypt-but/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [“A Christian understanding of the world sees a child's character not as genetically determined but as shaped to a significant degree by parental discipleship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/a-christian-understanding-of-the-world-sees-a-child-s-character-not/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [For too long, we’ve called unbelievers to “invite Jesus into your life.” Jesus doesn’t want to be in your life. Your life is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/for-too-long-we-ve-called-unbelievers-to-invite-jesus-into-your-life/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [When we adopt—and when we encourage a culture of adoption in our churches and communities—we’re picturing something that’s true about our God. We, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/when-we-adopt-and-when-we-encourage-a-culture-of-adoption-in-our/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [“Too often, our concept of pastors and church leaders reinforces rather than obliterates the sad state of family life in our current context.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/too-often-our-concept-of-pastors-and-church-leaders-reinforces-rather/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) [Explore all 43 Russell D. Moore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) ## More Ought quotes > [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [This, at last, was where things were as they ought to be. Everything was in its place -- the tree, the earth underneath, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/this-at-last-was-where-things-were-as-they-ought-to-be-everything-was/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Economists think about what people ought to do. Psychologists watch what they actually do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/economists-think-about-what-people-ought-to-do-psychologists-watch/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [Surely, God could have caused birds to fly with their bones made of solid gold, with their veins full of quicksilver, with their flesh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/surely-god-could-have-caused-birds-to-fly-with-their-bones-made-of/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) > [The Ten Commandments don't tell you what you ought to do: They only put ideas into your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bibesco/the-ten-commandments-don-t-tell-you-what-you-ought-to-do-they-only/) [Elizabeth Bibesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bibesco/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [We ought to observe that practice which is the hardest of all-especially for young physicians-we ought to throw in no medicine at all-to abstain-to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-randolph-of-roanoke/we-ought-to-observe-that-practice-which-is-the-hardest-of-all/) John Randolph of Roanoke > [We are all potentially such sick men. The sanest and best of us are of one clay with lunatics and prison-inmates. And whenever we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/we-are-all-potentially-such-sick-men-the-sanest-and-best-of-us-are-of/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [The first thing you ought to do is verify what I present. Just because I say it doesn't make it true. So check it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-first-thing-you-ought-to-do-is-verify-what-i-present-just-because/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [In the dim background of our mind we know meanwhile what we ought to be doing: getting up, dressing ourselves, answering the person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/in-the-dim-background-of-our-mind-we-know-meanwhile-what-we-ought-to/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [There are a great many colored people who are ashamed of the cake-walk, but I think they ought to be proud of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-weldon-johnson/there-are-a-great-many-colored-people-who-are-ashamed-of-the-cake/) [James Weldon Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-weldon-johnson/) > [Force ought to follow justice and not to precede.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-coke/force-ought-to-follow-justice-and-not-to-precede/) [Edward Coke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-coke/) > [We must allow the Bible to say what is says, not what we think it ought to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-bridges/we-must-allow-the-bible-to-say-what-is-says-not-what-we-think-it/) [Jerry Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-bridges/) Browse all 3,519 Ought quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think we can remember our past without valorizing parts of our past that we ought to see as wrong.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Russell D. Moore" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/i-think-we-can-remember-our-past-without-valorizing-parts-of-our-past/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ought" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/i-think-we-can-remember-our-past-without-valorizing-parts-of-our-past/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/russell-d-moore-15349_ought_i-think-we-can-remember-our-past-without_2553676.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/russell-d-moore-15349_ought_i-think-we-can-remember-our-past-without_2553676.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/russell-d-moore-15349_ought_i-think-we-can-remember-our-past-without_2553676.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think we can remember our past without valorizing parts of our past that we ought to see as wrong.” — Russell D. Moore", "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": "Russell D. Moore", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think we can remember our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/i-think-we-can-remember-our-past-without-valorizing-parts-of-our-past/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/i-think-we-can-remember-our-past-without-valorizing-parts-of-our-past/#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 } } ] } ```