The Art of Forgetting

Memory is crucial to how we construct meaning in our lives—it forges our identity and anchors us in time and space. Yet, this phenomena invites deeper inquiry: is forgetting simply a cognitive failure, or a necessary filter? Moreover, how do we account for the strange awareness that there is a gap within our memories?

Types of Forgetting

Forgetfulness is roughly classified into two distinct categories: natural and morbid. 

Natural forgetting, as the name suggests, is part of everyday life. It includes routine lapses in memory—like forgetting an appointment or a name—that stem from the brain’s tendency to prioritise, prune, and reorganise information. This type of forgetting is often adaptive: it helps manage cognitive load, filter out irrelevant details, and make room for new learning.

Morbid (or abnormal) forgetting, however, reflects a disruption in the normal functioning of memory systems and impacts daily life. This includes pathological conditions such as amnesia, Alzheimer’s disease, or memory impairments related to trauma or neurological injury. 

Another famous classification system for different types of forgetfulness was proposed by Daniel L. Schacter in his book “The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers” (2001):

I. Sins of Omission – when memory fails to bring something to mind:

• Transience: Memory fades over time, especially if not revisited.

• Absentmindedness: Lapses in attention lead to forgetting (e.g., misplacing keys).

• Blocking: The “tip-of-the-tongue” phenomenon—information is there but temporarily inaccessible.

II. Sins of Commission – when memory is present but flawed:

• Misattribution: Assigning a memory to the wrong source (e.g., thinking a dream was real).

• Suggestibility: Incorporating misleading information from others into memory.

• Bias: Current beliefs or emotions distort how we remember the past.

• Persistence: Unwanted memories that intrude repeatedly (e.g., trauma or regret).

Why We Need to Forget

• Tune Out Static Noise: The information we receive about our world is endlessly buzzing—especially in a world that is constantly changing at rapid speed, the sheer amount of environmental stimuli can overwhelm our brain. Hence, the brain has adapted to discard what it deems as “irrelevant” or “predictable” information to prevent it from interfering with other cognitive functions, such as learning, formulating thoughts or ideas or directing attention to  “novel” (salient) information. 

• Maximise Our Brain Storage: Again, a key principle about the brain is that it’s wired to become efficient. Synapses, which are the connections between neurons that are developed often when we learn something new, are subjected to pruning when they’ve been untouched or unused for a period of time. This helps improve the brain’s ability to quickly process information, as well as learning to specialise in certain areas by strengthening other pre-existing connections.

• Regulate Emotions: Not all memories that are stored are necessarily happy ones; traumatic or unnecessarily emotional memories can constantly trigger emotional distress. As such, forgetting can help reduce the emotional intensity these memories harbour, allowing us to move forward without being constantly pulled back. 

Key Theories

While research into forgetfulness is new and limited, several key theories have been proposed on the mechanisms behind forgetfulness: 

1. Trace Decay Theory:

   • Suggests that memories fade over time if they are not reinforced.

   • Based on the idea that memory traces—physical and chemical changes in the brain—gradually weaken.

   • Doesn’t account well for spontaneous memory recovery or cue-dependent recall.

2. Retrieval Failure Theory: 

   • Posits that memories are stored but temporarily inaccessible.

   • Failure to recall is due to absence of effective retrieval cues, not loss of the memory itself.

   • Types of retrieval cues include: 

   • External Cues: triggered by environmental factors (location, sounds, smells).

   • Example: returning to your childhood home might prompt long-forgotten memories.

   • Internal Cues: triggered by internal states (mood, physiological condition, even drug-induced states). 

   • Example: memories formed while sad are more easily retrieved when experiencing similar emotions.

Works Cited 

Cantor, C. (2021). Why Forgetting is Good for Your Memory. [online] Columbia University Department of Psychiatry. Available at: https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/news/why-forgetting-good-your-memory [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].

Harvard Health Publishing (2021). Forgetfulness — 7 types of normal memory problems - Harvard Health. [online] Harvard Health. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/forgetfulness-7-types-of-normal-memory-problems [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].

Mcleod, S. (2023). Forgetting | Simply Psychology. [online] Simply Psychology. Available at: https://www.simplypsychology.org/forgetting.html [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].

Shaughnessy, M.F. (2023). Forgetting and forgetfulness in memory | EBSCO. [online] EBSCO . Available at: https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/health-and-medicine/forgetting-and-forgetfulness-memory [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].