---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Time does not act on memory to soften the…"
description: "\"Time does not act on memory to soften the edges, blur the details; if anything, it sharpens them. Emotions may lose their acid outlines, but not places..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cb/susan-moody-48876_acid_time-does-not-act-on-memory-to-soften-th_2015756.jpg"
---

#  Time does not act on memory to soften the edges, blur the…

![“Time does not act on memory to soften the edges, blur the details; if anything, it sharpens them. Emotions may lose their acid outlines, but not places and people, not if you wish to retain them.” quote by Susan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cb/susan-moody-48876_acid_time-does-not-act-on-memory-to-soften-th_2015756.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cb/susan-moody-48876_acid_time-does-not-act-on-memory-to-soften-th_2015756.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cb/susan-moody-48876_acid_time-does-not-act-on-memory-to-soften-th_2015756.jpg)

> “Time does not act on memory to soften the edges, blur the details; if anything, it sharpens them. Emotions may lose their acid outlines, but not places and people, not if you wish to retain them.”

[Susan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-moody/)

## About This Quote

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

Memory retains details sharply; time may dull emotions but not the clarity of places and people we wish to keep.

**In simple terms:** Memories stay vivid despite emotional fading.

Key Takeaway

Preserve important memories consciously.

Themes

memory time emotion clarity

Mood

reflective melancholic

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- journaling
- photo albums
- storytelling
- legacy projects

Key Concepts

psychology nostalgia

Questions to Reflect On

- Which memories do you cherish most?
- How can you keep emotional connections alive?

A Different Perspective

Emotional detachment can still cause pain.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Acid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acid/) [Blur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blur/) [Details](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/details/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Edges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edges/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/) [Emotions Lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions-lose-3262658/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Loses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loses/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Memory Soften](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory-soften-3624134/) [Outlines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outlines/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sharpens Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sharpens-emotions-3624135/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/)

## Related quotes

> [We speed across emotions, And then we lose our hold, We move on wings of passion That we can't control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-james-dio/we-speed-across-emotions-and-then-we-lose-our-hold-we-move-on-wings/)

[Ronnie James Dio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-james-dio/)

> [My emotions lose their force when I endeavor to interpret them, and my words seem very inept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-loti/my-emotions-lose-their-force-when-i-endeavor-to-interpret-them-and-my/)

[Pierre Loti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-loti/)

> [“When the mindfulness of a samurai swordsman fails, he loses his life. When we lose mindfulness in daily life, something similar happens. We become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upasaka-culadasa/when-the-mindfulness-of-a-samurai-swordsman-fails-he-loses-his-life/)

[Upasaka Culadasa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upasaka-culadasa/)

> [Emotions are the natural substances of the soul ... and when we think we can't handle the emotions, we lose the natural substances of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-meade/emotions-are-the-natural-substances-of-the-soul-and-when-we-think-we/)

[Michael Meade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-meade/)

> [So you see, the quality of humor is not a personal or a national monopoly. It's as free as salvation, and, I am afraid,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/so-you-see-the-quality-of-humor-is-not-a-personal-or-a-national/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [I just don't really get into all that sort of personal negative stuff. My job is to outline some positive plans for the country's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/i-just-don-t-really-get-into-all-that-sort-of-personal-negative-stuff/)

[Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/)

> [I make extensive outlines before I write a book. I usually know what will happen. I know the characters, and I know what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amor-towles/i-make-extensive-outlines-before-i-write-a-book-i-usually-know-what/)

[Amor Towles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amor-towles/)

> [If one really thinks about the body as such, there is no possible outline of the body as such.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayatri-chakravorty-spivak/if-one-really-thinks-about-the-body-as-such-there-is-no-possible/)

[Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayatri-chakravorty-spivak/)

> [The effort of the economist is to "see," to picture the interplay of economic elements. The more clearly cut these elements appear in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/the-effort-of-the-economist-is-to-see-to-picture-the-interplay-of/)

[Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/)

> [I don't have very complete scripts for my films. I have a general outline and a character in my mind, and I make no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-don-t-have-very-complete-scripts-for-my-films-i-have-a-general/)

[Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/)

> [With respect to the outlines of what's in the Army Field Manual, there's no doubt in my mind about the limitations it places not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/with-respect-to-the-outlines-of-what-s-in-the-army-field-manual-there/)

[James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/)

> [ I always begin \[a novel\] with outlines, but they change and so do my endings and beginnings. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sefi-atta/i-always-begin-a-novel-with-outlines-but-they-change-and-so-do-my/)

[Sefi Atta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sefi-atta/)

> [Trump conducts meetings and actually tries to get something done rather than just have the meeting and rather than just announce a framework and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/trump-conducts-meetings-and-actually-tries-to-get-something-done/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [To each eye, perhaps, the outlines of a great civilization present a different picture. In the wide ocean upon which we venture, the possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/to-each-eye-perhaps-the-outlines-of-a-great-civilization-present-a/)

[Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/)

> [Right now I'm doing four shows at a time, trying to read four outlines every week, four scripts every week, and watching four rough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/right-now-i-m-doing-four-shows-at-a-time-trying-to-read-four-outlines/)

[Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/)

## More by Susan Moody

> [impulses sometimes have logical roots and ought to be given in to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-moody/impulses-sometimes-have-logical-roots-and-ought-to-be-given-in-to/)

[Susan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-moody/)

> [“We only have one life to live, and must go on with it to the end, that if we feel it is meaningless, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-moody/we-only-have-one-life-to-live-and-must-go-on-with-it-to-the-end-that/)

[Susan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-moody/)

> [You don't have to be sincere yourself to recognize sincerity when you see it. Any more than you have to be insane to recognize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-moody/you-don-t-have-to-be-sincere-yourself-to-recognize-sincerity-when-you/)

[Susan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-moody/)

> [Possibilities swung from the ropes of his life like charms on a watch chain, golden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-moody/possibilities-swung-from-the-ropes-of-his-life-like-charms-on-a-watch/)

[Susan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-moody/)

> [Istanbul ... the constant beating of the wave of the East against the rock of the West.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-moody/istanbul-the-constant-beating-of-the-wave-of-the-east-against-the/)

[Susan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-moody/)

> [... danger was always at its most lethal when disguised as respectability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-moody/danger-was-always-at-its-most-lethal-when-disguised-as-respectability/)

[Susan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-moody/)

> [martyrs are always uncomfortable people to live with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-moody/martyrs-are-always-uncomfortable-people-to-live-with/)

[Susan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-moody/)

[Explore all 8 Susan Moody quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-moody/)

## More Acid quotes

> [Grew up in a small town where there was only one crazy guy. He didn't even go insane doing anything good, like going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-posehn/grew-up-in-a-small-town-where-there-was-only-one-crazy-guy-he-didn-t/)

[Brian Posehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-posehn/)

> [Under Thatcher, who ruled us with an iron rod, great art was made. Amazing designers and musicians. Acid house was born. Very colourful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-gallagher/under-thatcher-who-ruled-us-with-an-iron-rod-great-art-was-made/)

[Noel Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-gallagher/)

> [Balance is key in cooking - you want a little acid, a little sweet, a little savory - the flavors should be harmonious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-simmons/balance-is-key-in-cooking-you-want-a-little-acid-a-little-sweet-a/)

[Gail Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-simmons/)

> [Canada is a country whose main exports are hockey players and cold fronts. Our main imports are baseball players and acid rain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/canada-is-a-country-whose-main-exports-are-hockey-players-and-cold/)

[Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/)

> [If you've never seen an elephant ski, then you've never been on acid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/if-you-ve-never-seen-an-elephant-ski-then-you-ve-never-been-on-acid/)

[Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/)

> [In my case I've never not been political, though religion tended to overshadow it in my acid days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/in-my-case-i-ve-never-not-been-political-though-religion-tended-to/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [Envy may justly be called "the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity;" it is the most acid fruit that grows on the stock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hosea-ballou/envy-may-justly-be-called-the-gall-of-bitterness-and-bond-of-iniquity/)

[Hosea Ballou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hosea-ballou/)

> [“They threw rotten fruit at me and told me next time it would be acid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/they-threw-rotten-fruit-at-me-and-told-me-next-time-it-would-be-acid/)

[Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/)

> [“We were left with nothing because of a love like acid that ate its way through our entire family.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-d-ronald/we-were-left-with-nothing-because-of-a-love-like-acid-that-ate-its/)

[R.D. Ronald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-ronald/)

> [The acid test of our love for God is obedience to His Word. The greatest ability is dependability. The test of your character is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-jones-sr/the-acid-test-of-our-love-for-god-is-obedience-to-his-word-the/)

[Bob Jones, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-jones-sr/)

> [You must have had such a great childhood with a man like that for your father. (Delphine) Yeah. All puppy dogs and rainbows and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/you-must-have-had-such-a-great-childhood-with-a-man-like-that-for/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [Since I was gay and loved disco music, it was kinda pre-programmed that my first experiences with house music and acid - which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justus-kohncke/since-i-was-gay-and-loved-disco-music-it-was-kinda-pre-programmed/)

[Justus Kohncke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justus-kohncke/)

> [We open the halves of a miracle, and a clotting of acids brims into the starry divisions: creation's original juices, irreducible, changeless, alive: so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/we-open-the-halves-of-a-miracle-and-a-clotting-of-acids-brims-into/)

[Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/)

> [I was standing in the street with people walking past me and I could feel my face evaporating. I thought I was on fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-piper/i-was-standing-in-the-street-with-people-walking-past-me-and-i-could/)

[Katie Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-piper/)

> [Once I slapped a rapper with mace, Then I spit acid in his face, after he rinsed his eyes, no wait... I actually grew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pharoahe-monch/once-i-slapped-a-rapper-with-mace-then-i-spit-acid-in-his-face-after/)

[Pharoahe Monch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pharoahe-monch/)

[Browse all 448 Acid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acid/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Time does not act on memory to soften the edges, blur the details; if anything, it sharpens them. Emotions may lose their acid outlines, but not places and people, not if you wish to retain them.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Susan Moody"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-moody/time-does-not-act-on-memory-to-soften-the-edges-blur-the-details-if/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Acid"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-moody/time-does-not-act-on-memory-to-soften-the-edges-blur-the-details-if/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cb/susan-moody-48876_acid_time-does-not-act-on-memory-to-soften-th_2015756.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cb/susan-moody-48876_acid_time-does-not-act-on-memory-to-soften-th_2015756.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cb/susan-moody-48876_acid_time-does-not-act-on-memory-to-soften-th_2015756.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Time does not act on memory to soften the edges, blur the details; if anything, it sharpens them. Emotions…” — Susan Moody",
                "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": "Susan Moody",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-moody/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Time does not act on memory...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-moody/time-does-not-act-on-memory-to-soften-the-edges-blur-the-details-if/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-moody/time-does-not-act-on-memory-to-soften-the-edges-blur-the-details-if/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
