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About this quote

What does it mean?
The past appears as art because we remove the messy details.
In plain terms
Memory turns the past into clean art by ignoring loose ends.
What can you take from it?
Memory edits reality to fit a neat story.

Where it applies

  • storytelling
  • remembering events
  • interpreting history

Putting it to work

  • check your memories
  • accept complexity
  • frame your past

Questions to consider

  • Do you recall the past clearly?
  • How do you frame your history?

Another view

Reality is often messier than memory portrays.

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