Contrary to popular belief, the past was not more eventful than the present. If seems so it is because when you look backward things that happened years apart are telescoped together, and because very few of your memories come to you genuinely virgin. It is largely because of the books, films and reminiscences that have come between that the war of 1914-18 is now supposed to have had some tremendous, epic quality that the present one lacks.

Summary

This quote suggests that the perception that the past was more eventful than the present is misguided. The author argues that the past appears more eventful because distant events are compressed together when observing history, and because memories are often influenced by external sources like books, films, and personal recollections. The author implies that this exaggeration may lead to perceiving historical events, such as the First World War, as more epic or extraordinary compared to the present, even though contemporary events may be equally meaningful or significant.

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