"You're supposed to remember, and still forgive"
About this Quote
The phrasing is quietly confrontational. “You’re supposed to” sounds like a corrective, the kind you deliver when someone is clinging to a righteous grudge and calling it self-respect. Burke’s subtext is that many of us don’t actually want reconciliation; we want vindication with good lighting. Remembering keeps the offense in focus, preserves the facts, prevents the rewrite. Forgiving anyway is the harder, less performative act because it surrenders the social power of being wronged.
As an actress associated with sharp-edged comedy and Southern-influlected frankness, Burke’s cultural register matters. This isn’t a self-help bromide; it’s the kind of line that lands in a scene where charm and steel coexist, where community ties require emotional labor, and where holding a grudge can be as much about identity as pain. The quote also anticipates a present-day tension: “remember” has become a political commandment (never forget), while “forgive” is often treated as betrayal or weakness. Burke threads them together as a dual obligation: keep the truth, drop the poison.
Quote Details
| Topic | Forgiveness |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Burke, Delta. (2026, January 15). You're supposed to remember, and still forgive. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/youre-supposed-to-remember-and-still-forgive-140803/
Chicago Style
Burke, Delta. "You're supposed to remember, and still forgive." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/youre-supposed-to-remember-and-still-forgive-140803/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"You're supposed to remember, and still forgive." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/youre-supposed-to-remember-and-still-forgive-140803/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.





