I'm horrified to find, as I look at these diaries of twenty-five years ago or more, that I don't remember who the people were. 'Bill and Tony were constantly in and out. We went to La Jolla' - or something. I haven't the bluest idea who they were!
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Personal diaries lose meaning over time if the people and details are no longer remembered.
- In plain terms
- Writing down events does not help if you forget who was involved later.
- What can you take from it?
- Memory fades even with written records.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who would you forget if you lost contact?
- How much of your past feels real now?
Another view
Records preserve facts but cannot preserve the feeling of knowing someone.
More from Christopher Isherwood
I'll bet Shakespeare compromised himself a lot; anybody who's in the entertainment industry does to some extent.
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