‘We remember as true things that never even happened’: Julian Barnes on memory and changing his mind
The Booker-prize winning novelist reflects on the times in his life when recollection and imagination have intertwined, and wonders whether we can ever rely on our brains to provide us with the truth
It sounds a simple business. “I changed my mind.” Subject, verb, object – a clear, clean action, without correcting or diminishing adjectives or adverbs. “No, I’m not doing that – I changed my mind” is usually an irrefutable statement. It implies the presence of strong arguments which can be provided if necessary. The economist John Maynard Keynes, charged with inconsistency, famously replied, “When the facts change, I change my mind.” So, he – and we – are happily and confidently in charge of this whole operation. The world may sadly incline to inconsistency, but not us.
And yet the phrase covers a great variety of mental activities, some seemingly rational and logical, others elemental and instinctive. There may be a simmering-away beneath the level of consciousness until the bursting realisation comes that, yes, you have changed your mind completely on this subject, that person, this theory, that worldview. The dadaist Francis Picabia once put it like this: “Our heads are round so that our thoughts can change direction.” And I think this feels as close to a true accounting of our mental processes as does Maynard Keynes’s statement.
Continue reading...Topics
-
Five Years On, Ghosts of a Pandemic We Didn’t Imagine Still Haunt Us
Time’s passage may have granted the illusion of distance, but we are living in a world that has yet to put the effects of Covid behind it.The New York Times - 1d -
My boyfriend wants us to move in together – but I need my independence and his dog won’t let us have sex
I used to struggle with living alone, but now I’m thriving. Should I give it all up?. My boyfriend and I are in our late 50s. He never married and doesn’t have kids, while I am divorced with ...The Guardian - 5d -
Rick Springfield remembers falling off a stage 25 years ago. So does his body: 'brain damage'
'Jessie's Girl' rocker Rick Springfield says he lives with the lasting toll of a hard fall that happened decades ago in Las Vegas: 'I found out I have some brain damage.'Los Angeles Times - 5d -
‘I’m an endless honey pot’: My wife and I are in our 70s. We gave our son $40,000 for his L.A. wedding. Now he wants more.
“We have four sons. We financed three of them through college, so none of our kids have student loans.”MarketWatch - Mar. 8 -
'On our day we can beat any team in the world'
Magpies captain Bruno Guimaraes has told BBC Radio Newcastle's Simon Pryde that Sunday's Carabao Cup final against Liverpool is his "best opportunity" to win silverware since arriving at the club ...Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Hummels on his future: “We will see what happens.”
Mats Hummels spoke about his feelings about his adventure at Roma in an interview with DAZN in the days leading up to the Europa League match against Athletic Club.The German defender, who arrived ...Yahoo Sports - 21h -
How the Pandemic Upended Our Lives
Whether you fled a crowded city or thought a puppy was the answer, the glimpses of another life we got during Covid have faded away.The New York Times - 4d -
Cushing: We've shown we can compete
Nick Cushing says he's seen enough in City's League Cup final defeat to know we can present a real challenge to Chelsea in our upcoming fixtures.City had deservedly levelled just after the hour ...Yahoo Sports - 21h -
Ruben Amorim makes “losing our minds” claim as he discusses his Man United plan
It’s not been an easy start to life at Man Utd for Amorim, who inherited a struggling side from Erik ten Hag when he moved over from Sporting Lisbon earlier this season.Amorim did impressive work ...Yahoo Sports - 1d
More from The Guardian
-
Arrest warrants issued as death toll rises to 59 from Kočani nightclub fire in North Macedonia – Europe live
More than 100 people injured after blaze broke out in the early hours at Pulse club in town 60 miles from Skopje. North Macedonia’s public prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski has said five prosecutors ...The Guardian - 11m -
Trump orders airstrikes on Houthis in Yemen over shipping attacks
At least 31 people killed and 101 injured in strikes on Sana’a and Saada, says Houthi-run health ministry. Donald Trump launched large-scale military strikes against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on ...The Guardian - 36m -
Judge blocks Trump from using 18th-century wartime act for deportations
Trump had invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport five Venezuelans, but order halted by judge. Alien Enemies Act: what is it and can Trump use it to deport gang members? Donald Trump ...The Guardian - 14h -
Peruvian fisher rescued after three months stranded at sea
Maximo Napa says he survived by eating cockroaches, birds and a turtle – and thinking about his mother. A Peruvian fisher was found alive after drifting at sea for 94 days, a navy official said on ...The Guardian - 1h -
SpaceX capsule docks with ISS to bring back stranded Nasa astronauts
The arrival of four astronauts will allow Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to return to Earth after nine months on the International Space Station. A SpaceX capsule delivered four astronauts to the ...The Guardian - 6h
More in World
-
Arrest warrants issued as death toll rises to 59 from Kočani nightclub fire in North Macedonia – Europe live
More than 100 people injured after blaze broke out in the early hours at Pulse club in town 60 miles from Skopje. North Macedonia’s public prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski has said five prosecutors ...The Guardian - 11m -
Celtic v Rangers: Scottish Premiership updates on Old Firm derby – live
Follow coverage of the Old Firm (12.30pm GMT kick-off) Email Taha with your thoughts on the game Barry Ferguson has been speaking to his old teammate Kris Boyd: “There’ll be no excuses in ...The Guardian - 16m -
An assailant sets a woman alight on a tram in eastern Germany and flees
Yahoo News - 18m -
Washington worried with Trump back in town: ‘The atmosphere is toxic here’
The Kennedy Center and BLM mural have been targeted, the newspaper is in freefall – and the Maga movement is gaining a foothold. It was an audience more accustomed to stifling a cough or resisting ...The Guardian - 22m -
Virtual reality goggles helped me on the path to physical recovery
An unexpected bit of tech opened up a whole new world of possibilities for a frustrated, injured writer . If you had asked me a month or two ago if I had ever had a spatial immersive experience, or ...The Guardian - 22m
