Quote by Virginia Woolf
I can only note that the past is beautiful because one never realises an emotion at the time. It expands later, and thus we don't have complete emotions about the present, only about the past.
Summary
This quote suggests that our perception of the past is often romanticized because we tend to appreciate and fully understand our emotions retrospectively. In the present moment, we lack the perspective and depth to grasp the true essence of our feelings. It is only afterwards, as time passes and we reflect on the past, that we can fully experience and comprehend the emotions we once had. This highlights the idea that our emotional connection and appreciation of events is often more complete when looking back, rather than in the present moment.