--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Now we're in that sweet period where…" description: "\"“Now we're in that sweet period where everyone agrees that our recent horrors should never be repeated. But collective thinking is usually short-lived...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/suzanne-collins-60_collective_now-we-re-in-that-sweet-period-where-eve_103447.jpg" --- # Now we're in that sweet period where everyone agrees that… ![“Now we're in that sweet period where everyone agrees that our recent horrors should never be repeated. But collective thinking is usually short-lived. We're fickle, stupid beings with poor memories and a great gift for self-destruction.” quote by Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/suzanne-collins-60_collective_now-we-re-in-that-sweet-period-where-eve_103447.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/suzanne-collins-60_collective_now-we-re-in-that-sweet-period-where-eve_103447.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/suzanne-collins-60_collective_now-we-re-in-that-sweet-period-where-eve_103447.jpg) > ““Now we're in that sweet period where everyone agrees that our recent horrors should never be repeated. But collective thinking is usually short-lived. We're fickle, stupid beings with poor memories and a great gift for self-destruction.”” [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human societies tend to forget past atrocities quickly, leading to repeated self‑destructive cycles despite brief moral awakenings. **In simple terms:** We forget horrors, repeat mistakes. Key Takeaway Collective memory is fragile. Themes history psychology societal cycles memory human nature Mood cautious reflective Type philosophical social commentary When to use this quote - post‑war reconciliation - political reform after scandals - public health crises - environmental policy debates Key Concepts short‑term moral spikes cognitive bias Practical Applications - Create institutional memory mechanisms - Educate on long‑term consequences Questions to Reflect On - How can we embed lasting reminders of past horrors? - What structures prevent collective amleness? A Different Perspective Some societies maintain lasting memorials and reforms, showing memory can be sustained with intentional effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [But collective thinking is usually short-lived. We're fickle, stupid beings with poor memories and a great gift for self-destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/but-collective-thinking-is-usually-short-lived-we-re-fickle-stupid/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“There is no collective thinking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/there-is-no-collective-thinking/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Are you preparing for another war, Plutarch?" I ask. "Oh, not now. Now we're in a sweet period where everyone agrees that our recent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/are-you-preparing-for-another-war-plutarch-i-ask-oh-not-now-now-we-re/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“We make sense of the variability in civic imaginations by observing that they cluster around three strong sets of discourses: concern with inequality, prioritizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-make-sense-of-the-variability-in-civic-imaginations-by-observing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not sure if I could tell the difference—between just staring into space and thinking. We're usually thinking all the time, aren't we? Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-m-not-sure-if-i-could-tell-the-difference-between-just-staring-into/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Once I have something that I think I can work with, then I'll go in and make it on the computer. I'll try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sune-rose-wagner/once-i-have-something-that-i-think-i-can-work-with-then-i-ll-go-in/) [Sune Rose Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sune-rose-wagner/) > [I was thinking what I usually think about when I write: what the next word should be, whether my character should be an emu…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-moffett/i-was-thinking-what-i-usually-think-about-when-i-write-what-the-next/) [Kevin Moffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-moffett/) > [Saying that positive thinking usually doesnt work is such heresy that I may be unceremoniously drummed out of the personal development field. And, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-white/saying-that-positive-thinking-usually-doesnt-work-is-such-heresy-that/) [Robert White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-white/) > [I've always been impulsive. My thinking is usually pretty good, but I always seem to do it after I do my talking — by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-ve-always-been-impulsive-my-thinking-is-usually-pretty-good-but-i/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [We do not focus test our games and never had. People ask why we don't, and I say, 'I have so many opinions in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-howard/we-do-not-focus-test-our-games-and-never-had-people-ask-why-we-don-t/) [Todd Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-howard/) > [The Internet is a collective hallucination: one of the best humanity has ever generated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/the-internet-is-a-collective-hallucination-one-of-the-best-humanity/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [I believe the personal is the collective. One of the ironies of writing memoir is in using the "I" it becomes an alchemical "we."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-believe-the-personal-is-the-collective-one-of-the-ironies-of/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [America gave the world the notion of the melting pot - an alchemical cooking device wherein diverse ethnic and religious groups voluntarily mix together,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/america-gave-the-world-the-notion-of-the-melting-pot-an-alchemical/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [A “collective” mind does not exist. It is merely the sum of endless numbers of individual minds. If we have an endless number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/a-collective-mind-does-not-exist-it-is-merely-the-sum-of-endless/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Close contact between science and the practice of collective farms and State farms creates inexhaustible opportunities for the development of theoretical knowledge, enabling us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trofim-lysenko/close-contact-between-science-and-the-practice-of-collective-farms/) [Trofim Lysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trofim-lysenko/) ## More by Suzanne Collins > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [KEEP CALM and HAVE A SUGAR CUBE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/keep-calm-and-have-a-sugar-cube/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [A furious Peeta hammers Haymitch with the atrocity he could become party to, but I can feel Haymitch watching me. This is the moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/a-furious-peeta-hammers-haymitch-with-the-atrocity-he-could-become/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“The same goes for the other captured tributes, Johanna and Enobaria.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/the-same-goes-for-the-other-captured-tributes-johanna-and-enobaria/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [I don't know how to say it exactly. Only...I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?' he asks. I shake my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-don-t-know-how-to-say-it-exactly-only-i-want-to-die-as-myself-does/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [He never lets go of Annie's hand. Not when they walk, not when they eat. I doubt he ever plans to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/he-never-lets-go-of-annie-s-hand-not-when-they-walk-not-when-they-eat/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“I want to interrupt the taping and beg Finnick’s forgiveness for every false thought I’ve ever had about him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-want-to-interrupt-the-taping-and-beg-finnick-s-forgiveness-for/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [I pound on the glass, screaming my head off. Everyone ignores me except for some Capitol attendant who appears behind me and offers me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-pound-on-the-glass-screaming-my-head-off-everyone-ignores-me-except/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Because it doesn't matter anymore, and because I'm so desperately lonely I can't stand it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/because-it-doesn-t-matter-anymore-and-because-i-m-so-desperately/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Then I dive into my tent before I do something stupid like cry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/then-i-dive-into-my-tent-before-i-do-something-stupid-like-cry/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“¡Es que no quiero que me conozcan! ¡Ya me están quitando el futuro! ¡No pueden llevarse también lo que me importaba en el pasado!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/es-que-no-quiero-que-me-conozcan-ya-me-est-n-quitando-el-futuro-no/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“I act delighted, but I have zero interest in these Capitol people. They are only distractions from the food.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-act-delighted-but-i-have-zero-interest-in-these-capitol-people-they/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Mostly we just add to the piles of rainbow glass that's been blown off the exteriors of the cany-colored buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/mostly-we-just-add-to-the-piles-of-rainbow-glass-that-s-been-blown/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [You're punishing him over and over for things that are out of his control. Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't have a fully loaded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/you-re-punishing-him-over-and-over-for-things-that-are-out-of-his/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But the significant difference between Thirteen and the Capitol are the expectations of the populace. Thirteen was used to hardship, wheras in the Capitol,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/but-the-significant-difference-between-thirteen-and-the-capitol-are/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) [Explore all 1,709 Suzanne Collins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) ## More Collective quotes > [Close contact between science and the practice of collective farms and State farms creates inexhaustible opportunities for the development of theoretical knowledge, enabling us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trofim-lysenko/close-contact-between-science-and-the-practice-of-collective-farms/) [Trofim Lysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trofim-lysenko/) > [A “collective” mind does not exist. It is merely the sum of endless numbers of individual minds. If we have an endless number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/a-collective-mind-does-not-exist-it-is-merely-the-sum-of-endless/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [America gave the world the notion of the melting pot - an alchemical cooking device wherein diverse ethnic and religious groups voluntarily mix together,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/america-gave-the-world-the-notion-of-the-melting-pot-an-alchemical/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [I believe the personal is the collective. One of the ironies of writing memoir is in using the "I" it becomes an alchemical "we."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-believe-the-personal-is-the-collective-one-of-the-ironies-of/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [The Internet is a collective hallucination: one of the best humanity has ever generated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/the-internet-is-a-collective-hallucination-one-of-the-best-humanity/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [We do not focus test our games and never had. People ask why we don't, and I say, 'I have so many opinions in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-howard/we-do-not-focus-test-our-games-and-never-had-people-ask-why-we-don-t/) [Todd Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-howard/) > [“No intelligent idea can gain general acceptance unless some stupidity is mixed in with it. Collective thought is stupid because it’s collective. Nothing passes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/no-intelligent-idea-can-gain-general-acceptance-unless-some-stupidity/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [It is the individual's task to differentiate himself from all the others and stand on his own feet. All collective identities . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/it-is-the-individual-s-task-to-differentiate-himself-from-all-the/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [I think. as a child, there's something frightening about certain adults, particularly when you're in their clutches or power. That must be the reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertie-carvel/i-think-as-a-child-there-s-something-frightening-about-certain-adults/) [Bertie Carvel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertie-carvel/) > [The living expression of the nation is the collective consciousness in motion of the entire people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frantz-fanon/the-living-expression-of-the-nation-is-the-collective-consciousness/) [Frantz Fanon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frantz-fanon/) > [When people in stadiums do the Wave, it's the group-mind collective organism spontaneously organizing itself to express an emotion, pass time, and reflect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/when-people-in-stadiums-do-the-wave-it-s-the-group-mind-collective/) [Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/) > [Women's progress has been a collective effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/women-s-progress-has-been-a-collective-effort/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“...I take as a point of departure the possibility and desirability of a fundamentally different form of society--call it communism, if you will--in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-burawoy/i-take-as-a-point-of-departure-the-possibility-and-desirability-of-a/) Michael Burawoy > [The power of the story sheds a light and great perspective on well known facts. The power of cinema draws on that collective history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/the-power-of-the-story-sheds-a-light-and-great-perspective-on-well/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [Unfortunately, I can't sing or play any instruments. But, I love Collective Soul. They've got some good music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chase-elliott/unfortunately-i-can-t-sing-or-play-any-instruments-but-i-love/) [Chase Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chase-elliott/) Browse all 308 Collective quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Now we're in that sweet period where everyone agrees that our recent horrors should never be repeated. But collective thinking is usually short-lived. 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