Is a memoir a confession or a thoughtful insight? how can a memoir be a confession? how can a memoir be a thoughtful insight?

A memoir can be a confession insofar as it is a person's attempt to tell a truth that has not been told before, or has not been told publicly. A memoir can be a thoughtful insight insofar as it takes events and memories and parses them out to look for deeper meanings or more general truths. A memoir can be both at the same time or just one depending on the kind of memoir it is.