“Every image of the past that is not recognized by the present as one of its own concerns threatens to disappear irretrievably”
— Walter Benjamin
Copied to clipboard
Simplified Meaning:
When we don't remember or care about events from the past, they can be lost forever. Imagine a family that never talks about their grandparents' stories or looks at old photos—eventually, younger family members won't know who their grandparents were or what their lives were like. This forgetting erases important parts of the family's history. Similarly, if a community or society ignores its history, important lessons and memories might be forgotten. By remembering and learning from past events, we keep that history alive and can use its lessons to make better decisions today. To make sure important things aren't lost, we should pay attention to and think about the past regularly.
Related tags
Collective memory Concern Heritage History Memory Past Present Preservation Recognition
FEATURED QUOTES
