"Time and memory are true artists; they remould reality nearer to the heart's desire"

John Dewey’s words evoke the intricate relationship between human perception and the flow of time. Time, ceaseless and impartial, moves forward, gradually distancing us from events and experiences. Memory, however, is malleable, actively shaping and reshaping our recollections. Rather than serving as a flawless archive, memory selects, emphasizes, and sometimes even distorts what is retained, coloring past realities with the hues of present feelings and aspirations.

As experiences recede into the past, their rough edges tend to be smoothed, their painful aspects softened or even forgotten, and their joys amplified or reinterpreted according to our current desires and needs. The drudgery or sorrow that once accompanied a moment may, over time, acquire a sense of nostalgia, its severity diminished by the healing passage of time. Conversely, successes and joys may gain a mythic quality, amplified by longing or pride, morphing into touchstones that shape future aspirations. In this process, both time and memory work as artists, selecting which details to emphasize, which to fade, and how to blend everything into coherent narratives that support the heart’s deepest wishes.

This artistic remaking is not mere deception. It provides a psychological function, helping people evolve, adjust, and endure. The reinterpretation of the past enables reconciliation with regrets, the pursuit of long-held passions, and the courage to hope for the future. By making reality more bearable or inspiring, memory aligns the recollected world with what the heart seeks, preserving not only facts but emotional truths. Dewey recognizes memory and time as partners in an ongoing act of creation, rendering our lives not simply as they were, but as they matter most to us. Through their artistry, reality itself is reshaped in the service of desire, hope, and meaning.