The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
Memory feeds imagination.
—Amy Tan (b.1952) Chinese-American Novelist
Memory is more incredible than ink.
—Anita Loos (1888–1981) American Actor, Novelist, Screenwriter
Recollection is the only paradise from which we cannot be turned out.
—Jean Paul (1763–1825) German Novelist, Humorist
The two offices of memory are collection and distribution.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Everyone complains of his lack of memory, but nobody of his want of judgement.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
I’m always fascinated by the way memory diffuses fact.
—Diane Sawyer (b.1945) American Journalist, TV Personality
Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
In solitude we give passionate attention to our lives, to our memories, to the details around us.
—Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) English Novelist
No matter how far we travel, the memories will follow in the baggage car.
—August Strindberg (1849–1912) Swedish Playwright, Novelist, Essayist
There is not any memory with less satisfaction than the memory of some temptation we resisted.
—James Branch Cabell (1879–1958) American Author of Fantasy Fiction
It’s surprising how much memory is built around things unnoticed at the time.
—Barbara Kingsolver (b.1955) American Novelist, Essayist, Poet
Memory is a complicated thing, a relative to truth, but not its twin.
—Barbara Kingsolver (b.1955) American Novelist, Essayist, Poet
The true art of memory is the art of attention.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Own only what you can carry with you; know language, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag.
—Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918–2008) Russian Dissident Novelist
The palest ink is better than the best memory.
—Chinese Proverb
Memory is not so brilliant as hope, but it is more beautiful, and a thousand times more true.
—George D. Prentice (1802–70) American Journalist, Editor
God gave us memory that we might have roses in December.
—J. M. Barrie (1860–1937) Scottish Novelist, Dramatist
So live that your memories will be part of your happiness.
—Unknown
When our memories outweigh our dreams, we have grown old.
—Bill Clinton (b.1946) American Head of State, Lawyer, Public Speaker
Everybody needs his memories. They keep the wolf of insignificance from the door.
—Saul Bellow (1915–2005) Canadian-American Novelist
Things that were hard to bear are sweet to remember.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten.
—Cesare Pavese (1908–50) Italian Novelist, Poet, Critic, Translator
Some memories are realities, and are better than anything that can ever happen to one again.
—Willa Cather (1873–1947) American Novelist, Writer
There are lots of people who mistake their imagination for their memory.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (1818–85) American Humorist, Author, Lecturer
Memory is the mother of all wisdom.
—Aeschylus (525–456 BCE) Greek Playwright
Memory is the power to revive again in our minds those ideas which after imprinting have disappeared, or have been laid aside out of sight.
—John Locke (1632–1704) English Philosopher, Physician
Memory is a crazy woman that hoards colored rags and throws away food.
—Austin O’Malley (1858–1932) American Aphorist, Ophthalmologist
Nothing is so admirable in politics as a short memory.
—John Kenneth Galbraith (1908–2006) Canadian-Born American Economist
Our memories are independent of our wills. It is not easy to forget.
—Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816) Irish-born British Playwright, Poet, Elected Rep