Santayana's famous quote.

George Santayana is said to have written, "Those who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes." This quote has been analyzed and mistranscribed to death. And its point is valid.

But, like another incomplete famous phrase, "Ignorance is bliss," (which ought to read "where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise"), Santayana's quote is incomplete. The full Santayana quote, like the full Gray quote, appears on its face to have a very different meaning than is usually thought. Santayana actually wrote:

"Those who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes. But those who remember their past too closely are condemned to relive them."

Which seems to imply a certain level of distance from one's past is healthy. The charge may be described as "the past is a nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there." Or something.