--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In history, the moments during which…" description: "\"In history, the moments during which reason and reconciliation prevail are short and fleeting.\" — Stefan Zweig" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eca/stefan-zweig-811_fleeting_in-history-the-moments-during-which-reas_736139.jpg" --- # In history, the moments during which reason and… ![“In history, the moments during which reason and reconciliation prevail are short and fleeting.” quote by Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eca/stefan-zweig-811_fleeting_in-history-the-moments-during-which-reas_736139.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eca/stefan-zweig-811_fleeting_in-history-the-moments-during-which-reas_736139.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eca/stefan-zweig-811_fleeting_in-history-the-moments-during-which-reas_736139.jpg) > “In history, the moments during which reason and reconciliation prevail are short and fleeting.” [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reason and reconciliation are rare and brief, highlighting the need to cherish them when they appear. **In simple terms:** Reason and peace are fleeting. Key Takeaway Value and protect moments of rational compromise. Themes peace reason conflict resolution Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - diplomatic negotiations - family disputes - community mediation - political treaties Key Concepts human nature temporal scarcity Questions to Reflect On - How can societies institutionalize brief reconciliations? - What habits sustain rational dialogue? A Different Perspective Such moments often collapse under entrenched interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Peacebuilding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peacebuilding/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Reconciliation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reconciliation/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“When you've got a thing to say, Say it! Don't take half a day. When your tale's got little in it Crowd the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/when-you-ve-got-a-thing-to-say-say-it-don-t-take-half-a-day-when-your/) [Joel Chandler Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-chandler-harris/) > [There are moments where history is made... This is one of those moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-m-louie/there-are-moments-where-history-is-made-this-is-one-of-those-moments/) David M. Louie > [Throughout American history, there have been moments that call on us to meet the challenges of an uncertain world, and pay whatever price is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/throughout-american-history-there-have-been-moments-that-call-on-us/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Once shame touches your being at any point, even the most distant nerve is implicated, whether you know it or not; any fleeting encounter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/once-shame-touches-your-being-at-any-point-even-the-most-distant/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [Christians believe that there will be a Judgment Day at the end. And it is my belief that on that day justice will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/christians-believe-that-there-will-be-a-judgment-day-at-the-end-and/) [Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/) > [Any racial reconciliation we've had in this country has come not out of confrontation but out of a spirit of reconciliation. If we continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/any-racial-reconciliation-we-ve-had-in-this-country-has-come-not-out/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [Reconciliation means - in victory, I win and you're wrong, and then you lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alveda-king/reconciliation-means-in-victory-i-win-and-you-re-wrong-and-then-you/) [Alveda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alveda-king/) > [The creative phase of an idea coincides with the period during which it insists, cantankerously, on its boundaries, on what makes it different; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/the-creative-phase-of-an-idea-coincides-with-the-period-during-which/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [It is faith that looks up at the creator God and knows him to be the God of love. 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Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [“The thing is, you cannot ask people to coexist by having one side bow their heads and rely on a solution that is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izzeldin-abuelaish/the-thing-is-you-cannot-ask-people-to-coexist-by-having-one-side-bow/) [Izzeldin Abuelaish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izzeldin-abuelaish/) > [Overall relations between the North and the South have developed in favor of national reconciliation, unity and reunification.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-jong-il/overall-relations-between-the-north-and-the-south-have-developed-in/) [Kim Jong Il](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-jong-il/) > [My belief is that the various religious traditions have great potential to increase compassion, the sense of caring for one another, and the spirit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/my-belief-is-that-the-various-religious-traditions-have-great/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [I truly believe that one of the things that has been lacking in America is a spirit of repentance about the injustices of slavery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-that-has-been-lacking-in/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [Too many people think that reconciliation means you soft-pedal differences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/too-many-people-think-that-reconciliation-means-you-soft-pedal/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [One of the most basic principles for making and keeping peace within and between nations. . . is that in political, military, moral, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/one-of-the-most-basic-principles-for-making-and-keeping-peace-within/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) ## More by Stefan Zweig > [“Madness,” he exclaimed to himself, in astonishment, faltering. “Madness! What do they want? Once again, once again!” War once again, war that had so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/madness-he-exclaimed-to-himself-in-astonishment-faltering-madness/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [It is never until one realizes that one means something to others that one feels there is any point or purpose in one's own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/it-is-never-until-one-realizes-that-one-means-something-to-others/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [“And if I am asked today to advise a young writer who has not yet made up his mind what way to go, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/and-if-i-am-asked-today-to-advise-a-young-writer-who-has-not-yet-made/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [“Live and let live” was the famous Viennese motto, which today still seems to me to be more humane than all the categorical imperatives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/live-and-let-live-was-the-famous-viennese-motto-which-today-still/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [“Değerli olan her zaman için gerçeğin yarısı değil, tamamıdır.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/de-erli-olan-her-zaman-i-in-ger-e-in-yar-s-de-il-tamam-d-r/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [One never gets to know a person's character better than by watching his behavior during decisive moments… It is always only danger which forces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/one-never-gets-to-know-a-person-s-character-better-than-by-watching/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [Names have a mysterious transforming power. 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He must be forever searching.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/the-truths-that-he-finds-may-in-the-coming-months-or-even-the-coming/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [The union of opposites, in so far as they are really complementary, always results in the most perfect harmony; and the seemingly incongruous is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/the-union-of-opposites-in-so-far-as-they-are-really-complementary/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [The sight of a wedding always has a disturbing effect on young girls; at such moments a mysterious sense of solidarity with their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/the-sight-of-a-wedding-always-has-a-disturbing-effect-on-young-girls/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [“Lightly, caressingly, Marie Antoinette picked up the crown as a gift. 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No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Repugnant is a creature who would squander the ability To lift an eye to heaven, conscious of his fleeting time here](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/repugnant-is-a-creature-who-would-squander-the-ability-to-lift-an-eye/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [The whole world is fleeting. Life is fleeting. So grab a pen, save it for later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-whole-world-is-fleeting-life-is-fleeting-so-grab-a-pen-save-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It was stolen. As most beautiful things eventually are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-dorst/it-was-stolen-as-most-beautiful-things-eventually-are/) [Doug Dorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-dorst/) > [“In this fleeting life, there is nothing stronger than a visual idea or moment stopped in time forever. And nothing does this better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-olsenius/in-this-fleeting-life-there-is-nothing-stronger-than-a-visual-idea-or/) Richard Olsenius > [...nothing wonderful lasted forever. Joy was as fleeting as a shooting star that crossed the evening sky, ready to blink out at any moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/nothing-wonderful-lasted-forever-joy-was-as-fleeting-as-a-shooting/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Thi is the malady onf the humans, that they can hold on to that which is fleeting and of little consequence and call it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/thi-is-the-malady-onf-the-humans-that-they-can-hold-on-to-that-which/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [The fatal mistake we make is looking for a paradise that endures...This obsession with what lasts causes us to overlook many a fleeting paradise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/the-fatal-mistake-we-make-is-looking-for-a-paradise-that-endures-this/) [Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/) > [Sensual pleasures have the fleeting brilliance of a comet; a happy marriage has the tranquillity of a lovely sunset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-landers/sensual-pleasures-have-the-fleeting-brilliance-of-a-comet-a-happy/) [Ann Landers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-landers/) > [I aspired from early on to write a novel, to be in the 'New Yorker,' to be on Broadway, and at least in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-o-donnell/i-aspired-from-early-on-to-write-a-novel-to-be-in-the-new-yorker-to/) [Mark O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-o-donnell/) > [“But always too soon, right after a fleeting moment of hope, the floor opens up and I sink to the bottom again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-taylor/but-always-too-soon-right-after-a-fleeting-moment-of-hope-the-floor/) [Natalie Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-taylor/) > [Alas, Postumus, the fleeting years slip by, nor will piety give any stay to wrinkles and pressing old age and untamable death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/alas-postumus-the-fleeting-years-slip-by-nor-will-piety-give-any-stay/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“Our reality may be fabled, but surely will be fleeting, because when the storyteller looks away, the story collapses. 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