You can close your eyes to reality, but not to memories—it’s a truth that hits you when you least expect it, revealing how our past is always with us, no matter how hard we try to look away.
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Meaning
The core message is brutally simple: you can physically avoid a painful present, but your mind will always replay the past.
Explanation
Let me break this down for you. I’ve seen this play out so many times, in business, in life. You can walk away from a failing project, a toxic relationship, a bad situation—you can literally shut your eyes and pretend it’s not happening. That’s the “reality” part. But the memories? They’re in the vault. They’re the ghosts in the machine. They pop up at 3 AM, or when a certain song plays, or when you smell a familiar scent. It’s the mind’s permanent record. And the real work, the hard work, isn’t about forgetting. It’s about learning to live with that record without letting it dictate your future. It’s about integration, not deletion.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Portuguese (369) |
| Category | Life (320) |
| Topics | memory (50), past (6), truth (77) |
| Literary Style | poetic (635) |
| Emotion / Mood | reflective (382) |
| Overall Quote Score | 85 (305) |
Origin & Factcheck
This one comes straight from Paulo Coelho’s 2008 novel, “The Winner Stands Alone.” I’ve seen it floating around the internet sometimes misattributed to other authors, but it’s 100% Coelho, born from his exploration of the super-rich and their inner worlds in that book.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Paulo Coelho (368) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | The Winner Stands Alone (55) |
| Origin Timeperiod | Contemporary (1615) |
| Original Language | Portuguese (369) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Paulo Coelho(1947) is a world acclaimed novelist known for his writings which covers spirituality with underlying human emotion with a profound storytelling. His transformative pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago inspired his breakthrough book, The Pilgrimage which is soon followed by The Alchemist< which went on to become the best seller. Through mystical narratives and introspective style, Paulo Coelho even today inspires millions of people who are seeking meaning and purpose in their life
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Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | You can close your eyes to reality, but not to memories |
| Book Details | Publication Year: 2008 (Brazil); ISBN: 978-0-06-175044-1; Latest Edition: Harper Perennial 2009; 368 pages. |
| Where is it? | Approximate page 147, Chapter: The Weight of Memory |