Dates Quote by William Goldman
““For the pedant, dates are deities, worthy of worship, but for the true social historian, they are minutiae only, a shorthand, convenient reminders and no more. You do not ask a Titanic survivor, ‘Let me see now, just exactly when was that?’ You ask him this: ‘What was it like? How did you feel?’ And that is the job of the social historian: to make the past vibrant for the present; to emotionally involve those of us who were not there. And to make us understand.””
About This Quote
Source Film: The Princess Bride, 1987 (screenplay)
A historian should focus on lived experience and emotions rather than exact dates, making the past vivid for contemporary audiences.
In simple terms: History is about feeling, not just facts.
Key Takeaway
Emphasize human stories.
Themes
history
empathy
storytelling
Mood
analytical
creative
Type
educational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- teaching
- museum exhibits
- documentary filmmaking
Key Concepts
narrative
subjectivity
cultural memory
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance facts with emotion?
- What stories bring history to life?
A Different Perspective
Dates still provide essential context.
