# Quotes about forgetting - Quotes: 13 - Authors: 10 - Broader topic: [Quotes about memory](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/memory.md) - Topic page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/forgetting - JSON version (same data): https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/forgetting.json ## Quotes > In two days the colonel had been buried, and in three days forgotten. [Victor Hugo](https://www.leafyquotes.com/victor-hugo.md) · [Les Miserables](https://www.leafyquotes.com/victor-hugo/les-miserables.md) · p. 531 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/victor-hugo/les-miserables/in-two-days.md) Topics: [forgetting](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/forgetting.md) > “Honey,” Jammer said, “you'll learn. Some things you teach yourself to remember to forget.” [William Gibson](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-gibson.md) · [Count Zero](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-gibson/count-zero.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-gibson/count-zero/honey-jammer-said.md) Topics: [forgetting](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/forgetting.md) > To forget — this is the desire of all people, and when they encounter something unpleasant, they always say: If only I could forget! But to forget is an art that must be practiced in advance. To be able to forget always depends upon how one experiences actuality. [Sören Kierkegaard](https://www.leafyquotes.com/soren-kierkegaard.md) · [Either/Or](https://www.leafyquotes.com/soren-kierkegaard/eitheror.md) · p. 293 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/soren-kierkegaard/eitheror/to-forget-this.md) Topics: [forgetting](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/forgetting.md) > It will take years for us to recover from what we've lived through. And also to forget. I tell myself that life is incomprehensible. We need death to bring us back together. (VI) [Véronique Tadjo](https://www.leafyquotes.com/veronique-tadjo.md) · [In the Company of Men](https://www.leafyquotes.com/veronique-tadjo/in-the-company-of-men.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/veronique-tadjo/in-the-company-of-men/it-will-take.md) Topics: [death](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/death.md), [forgetting](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/forgetting.md) > Things changed, he thought. Then they didn’t. And we forgot they could again. [Jonathan Lethem](https://www.leafyquotes.com/jonathan-lethem.md) · [The Arrest](https://www.leafyquotes.com/jonathan-lethem/the-arrest.md) · p. 234 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/jonathan-lethem/the-arrest/things-changed-he-thought.md) Topics: [change](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/change.md), [forgetting](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/forgetting.md) > Time moves in one direction, memory in another. > > We are that strange species that constructs artifacts intended to counter the natural flow of forgetting. [William Gibson](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-gibson.md) · [Distrust that Particular Flavor](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-gibson/distrust-that-particular-flavor.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-gibson/distrust-that-particular-flavor/time-moves-in-one.md) Topics: [time](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/time.md), [memory](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/memory.md), [forgetting](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/forgetting.md) > "There are inevitably more than enough words. You record them in your marvelous memory even now. And someday, my journals will be discovered - more words. I warn you that you read my words at your peril. The wordless movement of terrible events lies just below their surface. Be deaf! You do not need to hear or, hearing, you do not need to remember. How soothing it is to forget. And how dangerous!" [Frank Herbert](https://www.leafyquotes.com/frank-herbert.md) · [God Emperor of Dune](https://www.leafyquotes.com/frank-herbert/god-emperor-of-dune.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/frank-herbert/god-emperor-of-dune/there-are-inevitably.md) Topics: [words](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/words.md), [forgetting](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/forgetting.md) > In truth, is it better to remember or to forget? We must balance this decision between our history and our humanity. [Frank Herbert](https://www.leafyquotes.com/frank-herbert.md) · [Dune](https://www.leafyquotes.com/frank-herbert/dune.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/frank-herbert/dune/in-truth-is-it-better.md) Topics: [history](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/history.md), [memory](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/memory.md), [forgetting](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/forgetting.md) > "This is a bad land for gods," said Shadow. As an opening statement it wasn't Friends, Romans, countrymen, but it would do. "You've probably all learned that. The old gods are ignored. The new gods are as quickly taken up as they are abandoned, cast aside for the next big thing. Either you've been forgotten, or you're scared you're going to be rendered obsolete, or maybe you're just getting tired of existing on the whim of people." [Neil Gaiman](https://www.leafyquotes.com/neil-gaiman.md) · [American Gods](https://www.leafyquotes.com/neil-gaiman/american-gods.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/neil-gaiman/american-gods/this-is-a-bad.md) Topics: [mythology](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mythology.md), [forgetting](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/forgetting.md) > “These are gods who have been forgotten, and now might as well be dead. They can be found only in dry histories. They are gone, all gone, but their names and their images remain with us.” [Neil Gaiman](https://www.leafyquotes.com/neil-gaiman.md) · [American Gods](https://www.leafyquotes.com/neil-gaiman/american-gods.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/neil-gaiman/american-gods/these-are-gods.md) Topics: [mythology](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mythology.md), [forgetting](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/forgetting.md) > Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them. [George Eliot](https://www.leafyquotes.com/george-eliot.md) · [Adam Bede](https://www.leafyquotes.com/george-eliot/adam-bede.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/george-eliot/adam-bede/our-dead-are.md) Topics: [forgetting](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/forgetting.md) > Without the faculty of forgetting, our past would weigh so heavily on our present that we should not have the strength to confront another moment, still less to live through it. Life would be bearable only to frivolous natures, those in fact who do not remember. [Emil Cioran](https://www.leafyquotes.com/emil-cioran.md) · [The Trouble With Being Born](https://www.leafyquotes.com/emil-cioran/the-trouble-with-being-born.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/emil-cioran/the-trouble-with-being-born/without-the-faculty.md) Topics: [memory](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/memory.md), [the past](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/the-past.md), [forgetting](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/forgetting.md) > It was like one of those comedies where the sets are good and the clothes pretty, where the dialogue is clever and the acting competent, so that you pass an agreeable evening, but a week later cannot remember a thing about it. [William Somerset Maugham](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-somerset-maugham.md) · [Christmas Holiday](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-somerset-maugham/christmas-holiday.md) · p. 203 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-somerset-maugham/christmas-holiday/it-was-like.md) Topics: [theatre](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/theatre.md), [forgetting](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/forgetting.md)