Memory, therefore, not simply as the resurrection of one’s private past, but an immersion in the past of others, which is to say: history - which one both participates in and is a witness to, is a part of and apart from. Everything, therefore, is present in his mind at once, as if each element were reflecting the light of all the others, and at the same time emitting its own unique and unquenchable radiance. Paul Auster
About This Quote

Memory is not simply a form of resurrection of one’s private past, but an immersion in the past of others. When we look at the world around us, we see history repeating itself year after year. We can find people and places that seem to be the same only to discover that they are really different. However, when we look into our minds and memories, we see that everything we experience is part of the whole.

Our minds are filled with thoughts and information from many different sources. Those sources will play a role in our decision making process and actions in life. A great example of this is when someone loses a job and finds a new one.

Many people feel like they have had the same experience before and so it takes some time for them to adjust to their new reality. However, once they do, they will find themselves experiencing the new situation in ways they never thought possible.

Source: The Invention Of Solitude

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  3. Deep down, I don’t believe it takes any special talent for a person to lift himself off the ground and hover in the air. We all have it in us–every man, woman, and child–and with enough hard work and concentration, every human being is capable...
  4. As long as a man had the courage to reject what society told him to do, he could live life on his own terms. To what end? To be free. But free to what end? To read books, to write books, to think.
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