Cases Quote by William Maxwell
“What we, or at any rate what I, refer to confidently as memory--meaning a moment, a scene, a fact that has been subjected to a fixative and thereby rescued from oblivion--is really a form of storytelling that goes on continually in the mind and often changes with the telling. Too many conflicting emotional interests are involved for life ever to be wholly acceptable, and possibly it is the work of the storyteller to rearrange things so that they conform to this end. In any case, in talking about the past we lie with every breath we draw.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Nature of Memory", 1965
Memory acts as storytelling, reshaping past events to fit personal narratives, making absolute truth impossible and highlighting the storyteller’s role in interpreting life.
In simple terms: Memory rewrites past like stories.
Key Takeaway
Question your recollections.
Themes
memory
storytelling
subjectivity
Mood
thoughtful
introspective
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- personal memoir
- history teaching
- therapy
Key Concepts
philosophy
psychology
narrative theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How does storytelling alter your memory?
- Can we ever know the true past?
A Different Perspective
Memory can be unreliable and biased.
![“[As in the case of] alcohol prohibition, illegality has driven organized crime, sent countless people to jail, and killed many thousands. Repression does not work.” quote by Sam Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/212/sam-branson-36458_alcohol_as-in-the-case-of-alcohol-prohibition-il_8703.jpg)
