The writer is the person who stands outside society, independent of affiliation and independent of influence.
Don DelilloRead
Too much has been forgotten in the name of memory.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the idea that the act of trying to preserve memories can sometimes lead to the loss of their true essence or meaning.
Don Delillo's quote suggests that in our quest to remember and preserve information, we may inadvertently overlook or forget the genuine experiences and emotions associated with those memories. It highlights a paradox where the attempt to hold onto the past can lead to a distortion or dilution of what was once significant, as individuals become more focused on recalling facts rather than feeling the moments.
Themes
MemoryNostalgiaExperiencePreservationLoss
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be cited in a lecture on the philosophical implications of memory in art.
More from Don Delillo
All quotes βWar is the form nostalgia takes when men are hard-pressed to say something good about their country.
Don DelilloRead
American writers ought to stand and live in the margins, and be more dangerous.
Don DelilloRead
For me, writing is a concentrated form of thinking.
Don DelilloRead
I used to think it was possible for an artist to alter the inner life of the culture. Now bomb-makers and gunmen have taken that territory.
Don DelilloRead
[I]n the American soul there is a lonely individual standing in a vast landscape. β¨He is either on a horse or driving a car, depending, and either way heβs carrying a gun. β¨This is one of the essential images in American mythology.
Don DelilloRead
Similar quotes
Abstain from all sinful, unwholesome actions, perform only pious wholesome ones, purify the mind; this is the teaching of enlightened ones
Gautama BuddhaRead
You lose your individuality a huge amount when you have no money, and I certainly had that experience.
J. K. RowlingRead
Life is merely a fracas on an unmapped terrain, and the universe a geometry stricken with epilepsy.
Emile M. CioranRead
As I approached my 95th birthday, I was burdened to write a book that addressed the epidemic of 'easy believism.' There is a mindset today that if people believe in God and do good works, they are going to Heaven.
Billy GrahamRead
It is the individual's task to differentiate himself from all the others and stand on his own feet. All collective identities . . . interfere with the fulfillment of this task. Such collective identities are crutches for the lame, shields for the timid, beds for the lazy, nurseries for the irresponsible. . . .
Carl JungRead
It's been interesting to see how similar audiences in the East and West are, actually, and how it makes you realize that when politicians emphasize the differences between our cultures, it's usually because it benefits them more so than us.
Asghar FarhadiRead