Governed, as we are, entirely by public opinion, the utmost care should be taken to preserve the purity of the public mind. Knowledge is power, and truth is knowledge; whoever, therefore, knowingly propagates a prejudice, willfully saps the foundation of his country’s strength.
Every act has consequences that change that world in some way, no matter how modest, and those actions will go on changing the world for millennia after we are gone. But to remember the details of every action is to invite madness, to paralyze our brains and our communities with memory.
Gavin Francis, The Dream of Forgetfulness (NYRB, March 9, 2023)
He took comfort in knowing that the world would carry on without him-and, in fact, already had.
Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Moscow
It is a sad but unavoidable fact of life … that as we age our social circles grow smaller. Whether from increased habit or diminished vigor, we suddenly find ourselves in the company of just a few familiar faces.
Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Moscow
