(outlink) Forgetting May Be Part of the Process of Remembering - New York Times

Forgetting May Be Part of the Process of Remembering


Whether drawing a mental blank on a new A.T.M. password, a favorite recipe or an old boyfriend, people have ample opportunity every day to curse their own forgetfulness. But forgetting is also a blessing, and researchers reported on Sunday that the ability to block certain memories reduces the demands on the brain when it is trying to recall something important.


I thought this was fairly well-known already, actually, based on some form of brain damage actually leading to perfect memory - and hampering a lot of other processes. Anyway, it means that when I don't find my sunglasses it is really a sign of intelligence, and it's quite comforting to get that sign several times daily. Or something.