The generality of virtuous women are like hidden treasures, they are safe only because nobody has sought after them.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
Why can we remember the tiniest detail that has happened to us, and not remember how many times we have told it to the same person.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the notion of memory, highlighting the paradox of remembering specific details while forgetting repetitive recountings.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld's quote explores the complexities of memory, suggesting that while we can vividly recall the smallest details of our experiences, we often overlook the frequency with which we share those stories with others. It implies a curious aspect of human cognition where the detail of a significant moment may linger in our minds, yet the act of recounting becomes somewhat inconsequential and forgettable, raising questions about the nature and significance of memory in our lives.
Themes
MemoryDetailsRecollectionHuman ExperienceCognition
In practice
Example use cases
A speaker at a conference discussing the reliability of personal anecdotes.
More from Francois De La Rochefoucauld
All quotes βOld men delight in giving good advice as a consolation for the fact that they can no longer set bad examples.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
Some counterfeits reproduce so very well the truth that it would be a flaw of judgment not to be deceived by them.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
Conceit causes more conversation than wit.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
The defects and faults of the mind are like wounds in the body; after all imaginable care has been taken to heal them up, still there will be a scar left behind, and they are in continual danger of breaking the skin and bursting out again.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
To understand matters rightly we should understand their details; and as that knowledge is almost infinite, our knowledge is always superficial and imperfect.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
Similar quotes
Great is the power of steady misrepresentation
Charles DarwinRead
The fact that one can lose one's sense of self in an ocean of tranquility does not mean that one's consciousness is immaterial or that it presided over the birth of the universe.
Sam HarrisRead
For life is but a dream whose shapes return, some frequently, some seldom, some by night and some by day.
James ThomsonRead
The inward area is the first place of loss of true Christian life, of true spirituality, and the outward sinful act is the result.
Francis SchaefferRead
Whoever you hate will end up in your family. You don't like gays? _x000D_ You're gonna have a gay son. You don't like Puerto Ricans? Your _x000D_ daughter's gonna come home with Livin' La Vida Loca!
Chris RockRead
I feel my heart break to see a nation ripped apart by it's own greatest strength - it's diversity.
Melissa EtheridgeRead