“We are not what we remember, but what we forget.”
What this quote means
Vásquez reverses the common conception of identity: it is not our memories that define us, but our forgettings. What we choose to ignore or repress shapes us just as much. This idea resonates in collective and personal traumas, where forgetting can be a survival strategy. It invites us to explore the shadowy areas of our memory.
How to apply it daily
Examine what you tend to forget or avoid, and ask yourself how it influences your life and choices.
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