Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.
John SteinbeckRead
And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the cyclical nature of human memory and experience, emphasizing how people often forget past hardships during better times and vice versa.
John Steinbeck's quote illustrates the tendency of people to lose sight of their past experiences, particularly how the struggles of difficult times are forgotten in the face of prosperity, and the abundance of good times can lead to neglecting the challenges faced in harder years. This cyclical forgetfulness affects how societies respond to both wealth and hardship, suggesting a lack of acknowledgment of history in shaping current values and behaviors.
Themes
MemoryExperienceCyclesHuman NatureHistory
In practice
Example use cases
During a presentation on economic cycles, you might use this quote to demonstrate how societies often forget past recessions during times of growth.
More from John Steinbeck
All quotes βAt one point, as Samuel urges Adam to raise his boys well regardless of the blood that might be in them, Adam tells him, "You can't make a race horse of a pig." Samuel replies, "No, but you can make a very fast pig.
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And when that crop grew, and was harvested, no man had crumbled a hot clod in his fingers and let the earth sift past his fingertips. No man had touched the seed, or lusted for the growth. Men ate what they had not raised, had no connection with the bread. The land bore under iron, and under iron gradually died; for it was not loved or hated, it had no prayers or curses.
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The comfortable people in tight houses felt pity at first, and then distaste, and finally hatred for the migrant people.
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People do not want advice - they want corroboration.
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It is one of the triumphs of the human that he can know a thing and still not believe it.
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