Forgetting Turns Out To Be Profitable, Here Are The Reasons

Illustration of peeking memory (Unsplash / freestocks)

JAKARTA - Forgetting does not mean senile. People forget that they can remember the chronology of an event, but senile people don't remember what happened at all. According to a professor of cognitive psychology at Otterbein University, forgetting is beneficial. How can it be?

Robert N. Kraft, Ph.D., said that forgetting opens up opportunities to manage a complicated life. Forgetting also encourages remembering what was important, inspired, and recovered from painful events.

Forgetting is undesirable for some people, often annoying. But behind all that, forgetting has enormous benefits.

Have you ever experienced last week's events in detail, ranging from cooking too salty, being cursed at by people on the street without knowing a reason, being called the wrong name, and so on? The details of the event may occur repeatedly, but it is best to forget.

From forgetting, Kraft has a list of advantages when it comes to forgetting events that are irrelevant to the required life processes. Here's the list:

Past memories are practically irrelevant

Do you remember the road to the parking lot from the place you visited a year ago? Of course, this will be difficult to remember especially when you don't stop by this place every day. So, do you still remember the first email password after updating the login key many times?

Now, more practically, you deserve to forget the intimacy from the previous relationship, especially when you have a new relationship.

Forgetting makes a person learn

Hundreds of times you shop, you forget to put your grocery bag over and over again. Forgetting is one way of learning. However, memory in adults is certainly different from that of children. Children have clearer memories, while adults have richer memories.

In general knowledge, adults may forget the little things and children identify the big things from the little details. On the whole, forgetting is not a deterioration of memory but rather serves as learning about things that are needed.

Forgetting is necessary to remember accurately and selectively

Recalling Painful memories can affect other memories. From the results of remembering, we need to sort out which ones need to be remembered and which are not.

"What is considered to have a good memory is actually the ability to forget which is irrelevant", said Kraft.

He added that someone who is able to cut irrelevant events is better able to remember related events.

Illustration holding head (Unsplash / Jonas Svidras)

Forgetting allows more concentration

Did you remember while reading your project report, suddenly you remember where to buy a healthy lunch? Of course, the two activities that involve memory are not related and if they are mixed, they will not concentrate.

Forgetting allows enjoying life

On weekends, of course, you want to forget about work so you can still enjoy the fun. Forgetting to cut off memory disorders and getting rid of memories that might make the pleasures lived there no longer worthwhile.

This means that in order for the pleasant experience to remain valuable and meaningful, forget about work for a while and enjoy the atmosphere.

Finally, why forgetting is beneficial, because by forgetting we can think more positively and 'new'. Kraft's message, remembering and forgetting must be balanced to fulfill the responsibility and achieve prosperity.