--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: History was an incredibly damaging…" description: "\"History was an incredibly damaging experience, and now it's over . . . in a sense.\" — Terence McKenna" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/terence-mckenna-287_damaging_history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-exper_3304.png" --- # History was an incredibly damaging experience, and now… ![“History was an incredibly damaging experience, and now it's over . . . in a sense.” quote by Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/terence-mckenna-287_damaging_history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-exper_3304.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/terence-mckenna-287_damaging_history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-exper_3304.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/terence-mckenna-287_damaging_history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-exper_3304.png) > “History was an incredibly damaging experience, and now it's over . . . in a sense.” [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker sees history as a harmful, oppressive force that has finally ended, implying relief and a chance to move beyond its constraints. **In simple terms:** History as a damaging, now‑over force Key Takeaway Freedom from past burdens Themes history pain relief transition reflection Mood cathartic hopeful defiant Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - post‑war reconstruction - cultural renewal - individual healing Key Concepts historical trauma collective memory personal liberation Practical Applications - writing memoirs - designing curricula Questions to Reflect On - How does ending a painful era reshape identity? - What risks arise when we dismiss history entirely? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) ## Related quotes > [Social media can be incredibly damaging for impressionable people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-willis/social-media-can-be-incredibly-damaging-for-impressionable-people/) [Emma Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-willis/) > [In certain ways it is incredibly damaging considering the stuff I did before certainly wasn't for kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhonen-vasquez/in-certain-ways-it-is-incredibly-damaging-considering-the-stuff-i-did/) [Jhonen Vasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhonen-vasquez/) > [“We're about to live through history and it's incredibly exciting. But don't make the mistake of thinking life stops because of any of this.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-mandery/we-re-about-to-live-through-history-and-it-s-incredibly-exciting-but/) [Evan Mandery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-mandery/) > [Few things give rise to imprecise rhetoric like the issue of race. It's understandable, but damaging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/few-things-give-rise-to-imprecise-rhetoric-like-the-issue-of-race-it/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Playing favorites is one of the most damaging problems in any group of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-whipple/playing-favorites-is-one-of-the-most-damaging-problems-in-any-group/) [Robert Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-whipple/) > [The most damaging phrase in the language is: 'It's always been done that way.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/the-most-damaging-phrase-in-the-language-is-it-s-always-been-done/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [Your liver is your vital detoxification organ, and if it becomes overloaded with toxins from the food, drink, or medications you're consuming, you'll have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-somers/your-liver-is-your-vital-detoxification-organ-and-if-it-becomes/) [Suzanne Somers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-somers/) > [I think that Obama's failure to reestablish the rule of law in money matters is the most damaging thing that he's done - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/i-think-that-obama-s-failure-to-reestablish-the-rule-of-law-in-money/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [But if you know that something has been really vicious, you don't read it, you don't let it into your head. What's damaging is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigella-lawson/but-if-you-know-that-something-has-been-really-vicious-you-don-t-read/) [Nigella Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigella-lawson/) > [Violence is not a constitutionally protected right. Damaging property is not a constitutionally protected right; inciting violence is not a constitutionally protected right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-g-slay/violence-is-not-a-constitutionally-protected-right-damaging-property/) Francis G. Slay > [The wrongful arrest of tens of thousands of British Muslims after the September 11 attacks can be explained by the very poor intelligence the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-mulgan/the-wrongful-arrest-of-tens-of-thousands-of-british-muslims-after-the/) [Geoff Mulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-mulgan/) > [How can we teach our children to be responsible beyond themselves and care for other human beings' welfare and for the welfare of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/how-can-we-teach-our-children-to-be-responsible-beyond-themselves-and/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [I'm not an extreme tree-hugger. I do believe trees grow and are a useful agricultural product that can be harvested without damaging the ecology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-malone/i-m-not-an-extreme-tree-hugger-i-do-believe-trees-grow-and-are-a/) [John C. Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-malone/) > [I'm going to work with Republicans when they do things I agree with and I'm going to fight Republicans when they're doing things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/i-m-going-to-work-with-republicans-when-they-do-things-i-agree-with/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) > [Just as Wall Street needs to break the hold of the bonus culture, which drives risk-taking that is rational for individuals but damaging to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-schekman/just-as-wall-street-needs-to-break-the-hold-of-the-bonus-culture/) [Randy Schekman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-schekman/) ## More by Terence McKenna > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The history of man that you don't know is what your unconscious is made out of. Just as the history of yourself that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-history-of-man-that-you-don-t-know-is-what-your-unconscious-is/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [We are consciousness. We may not always be monkeys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-consciousness-we-may-not-always-be-monkeys/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What is happening here is we are living past the age, by the millions, living past the age where cultural values make any sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-is-happening-here-is-we-are-living-past-the-age-by-the-millions/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What history is, essentially, is a careening, out-of-control effort to find our way back to this state of primordial balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-history-is-essentially-is-a-careening-out-of-control-effort-to/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [And what is the primary datum? It's the felt presence of immediate experience. In other words, being here now is the primary datum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/and-what-is-the-primary-datum-it-s-the-felt-presence-of-immediate/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Our culture difinitely takes an egocentric dominator view. The fear of the psychedelic experience is quite literally the fear of losing control. Dominator types…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/our-culture-difinitely-takes-an-egocentric-dominator-view-the-fear-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Every step into freedom contains within it the potential for greater bondage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/every-step-into-freedom-contains-within-it-the-potential-for-greater/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [This is the message of your life and my life - it’s that nothing lasts. Heraclitus said it: Panta Rhei. All flows, nothing lasts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/this-is-the-message-of-your-life-and-my-life-it-s-that-nothing-lasts/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I often like to think that our map of the world is wrong, that where we have centered physics, we should actually place literature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/i-often-like-to-think-that-our-map-of-the-world-is-wrong-that-where/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Knowledge, or verbal facility, is no proof that you know what you're talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/knowledge-or-verbal-facility-is-no-proof-that-you-know-what-you-re/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [No culture on earth is as heavily narcotized as the industrial West in terms of being inured to the consequences of maladaptive behavior. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/no-culture-on-earth-is-as-heavily-narcotized-as-the-industrial-west/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Man was not put on this planet to toil in the mud. Or the god who put us on this planet to toil in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/man-was-not-put-on-this-planet-to-toil-in-the-mud-or-the-god-who-put/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [If you take psychedelics and the Internet and music and put all of that together you have the basis for a new community that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/if-you-take-psychedelics-and-the-internet-and-music-and-put-all-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [It's meanings that we need to coax into our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/it-s-meanings-that-we-need-to-coax-into-our-lives/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) [Explore all 745 Terence McKenna quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## More Damaging quotes > [Just as Wall Street needs to break the hold of the bonus culture, which drives risk-taking that is rational for individuals but damaging to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-schekman/just-as-wall-street-needs-to-break-the-hold-of-the-bonus-culture/) [Randy Schekman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-schekman/) > [I'm going to work with Republicans when they do things I agree with and I'm going to fight Republicans when they're doing things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/i-m-going-to-work-with-republicans-when-they-do-things-i-agree-with/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) > [I'm not an extreme tree-hugger. I do believe trees grow and are a useful agricultural product that can be harvested without damaging the ecology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-malone/i-m-not-an-extreme-tree-hugger-i-do-believe-trees-grow-and-are-a/) [John C. Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-malone/) > [How can we teach our children to be responsible beyond themselves and care for other human beings' welfare and for the welfare of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/how-can-we-teach-our-children-to-be-responsible-beyond-themselves-and/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [The wrongful arrest of tens of thousands of British Muslims after the September 11 attacks can be explained by the very poor intelligence the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-mulgan/the-wrongful-arrest-of-tens-of-thousands-of-british-muslims-after-the/) [Geoff Mulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-mulgan/) > [Violence is not a constitutionally protected right. Damaging property is not a constitutionally protected right; inciting violence is not a constitutionally protected right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-g-slay/violence-is-not-a-constitutionally-protected-right-damaging-property/) Francis G. Slay > [But if you know that something has been really vicious, you don't read it, you don't let it into your head. What's damaging is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigella-lawson/but-if-you-know-that-something-has-been-really-vicious-you-don-t-read/) [Nigella Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigella-lawson/) > [I think that Obama's failure to reestablish the rule of law in money matters is the most damaging thing that he's done - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/i-think-that-obama-s-failure-to-reestablish-the-rule-of-law-in-money/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [Your liver is your vital detoxification organ, and if it becomes overloaded with toxins from the food, drink, or medications you're consuming, you'll have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-somers/your-liver-is-your-vital-detoxification-organ-and-if-it-becomes/) [Suzanne Somers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-somers/) > [The most damaging phrase in the language is: 'It's always been done that way.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/the-most-damaging-phrase-in-the-language-is-it-s-always-been-done/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [Playing favorites is one of the most damaging problems in any group of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-whipple/playing-favorites-is-one-of-the-most-damaging-problems-in-any-group/) [Robert Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-whipple/) > [Few things give rise to imprecise rhetoric like the issue of race. It's understandable, but damaging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/few-things-give-rise-to-imprecise-rhetoric-like-the-issue-of-race-it/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Digital sound is damaging music; it's damaging the artists. It's so degrading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-iovine/digital-sound-is-damaging-music-it-s-damaging-the-artists-it-s-so/) [Jimmy Iovine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-iovine/) > [“You take the words in the sense which is most damaging to the argument.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/you-take-the-words-in-the-sense-which-is-most-damaging-to-the-argument/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Social media can be so damaging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-purnell/social-media-can-be-so-damaging/) [Ella Purnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-purnell/) Browse all 82 Damaging quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "History was an incredibly damaging experience, and now it's over . . . in a sense.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terence McKenna" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-experience-and-now-it-s-over-in-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Damaging" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-experience-and-now-it-s-over-in-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/terence-mckenna-287_damaging_history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-exper_3304.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/terence-mckenna-287_damaging_history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-exper_3304.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/terence-mckenna-287_damaging_history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-exper_3304.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“History was an incredibly damaging experience, and now it's over . . . in a sense.” — Terence McKenna", "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": "Terence McKenna", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "History was an incredibly damaging experience,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-experience-and-now-it-s-over-in-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-experience-and-now-it-s-over-in-a/#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 } } ] } ```