To shift the structure of a sentence alters the meaning of that sentence, as definitely and inflexibly as the position of a camera alters the meaning of the object photographed.
Joan DidionRead
Was there ever in anyone's life span a point free in time, devoid of memory, a night when choice was any more than the sum of all the choices gone before?
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on how our past choices and memories shape our present decisions.
Joan Didion's quote contemplates the nature of time and memory, suggesting that every choice we make is influenced by our previous experiences and decisions. It raises the philosophical question of whether pure freedom of choice truly exists, or if it is always constrained by the weight of our past, indicating that our lives are essentially a continuum of our previous actions and thoughts.
Themes
MemoryChoicesTimeFreedomPast
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a philosophical discussion about the nature of decision-making.
More from Joan Didion
All quotes →The truth is, it's easier for me to write than talk... to express the state I'm in at any time.
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Memories are what you no longer want to remember.
Joan DidionRead
It was clear, for example, in 1988 that the political process had already become perilously remote from the electorate it was meant to represent.
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I mean maybe I was holding all the aces, but what was the game?
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Do not whine... Do not complain. Work harder. Spend more time alone.
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