The quote from Milan Kundera's "The Joke" examines the nature of human belief in memory and justice. It suggests that people typically indulge in self-deception by holding onto a misguided faith in eternal remembrance of individuals and actions, as well as the possibility of rectifying past wrongs. These notions are portrayed as illusory, representing a comforting but ultimately false sense of hope.

Kundera propounds a more troubling yet realistic perspective, stating that in the end, all will be forgotten, and no wrongs will be truly made right. He argues that both forgiveness and revenge will be subsumed by the overarching force of oblivion, implying that our efforts to seek justice or preservation of memory are ultimately futile and transient.