Remember to forget

Memory gets all the accolades. “Ooooh, he’s got a big memory, ’asn’t he!” coo the ladies. “Did you see the recall on her!” approve the gents. Yes, memory is a many splendoured thing, unlike it’s poor cousin; forgetting. “I can’t believe you forgot!” is a term of rebuke, but it shouldn’t be. Rather we should be saying, “Well forgotten old thing!”, and here’s the reason why.

Researchers have recently conducted experiments to show that the ability to forget is central to remembering and to brain function in general.

In one experiment for instance, people were given a list of words that were related to each other and asked to memorise the list. They might have been asked to memorise a list of birds, for example. In the next part of the task they were asked to remember half of the birds. In order to remember half of the birds, you need to forget the other half.

What the research then showed was that people who were better at this second type of task that involved forgetting were better at problem solving and remembering something when they were distracted with other information.

It appears then that the capacity to forget is essential to other mental functions including memory. If you think about it, it makes sense.

On a day by basis you need to forget things. When you get a new phone number you need to forget the old one. Where you parked your car when you went to the shops today is something you need to remember but you need to forget it next time or you will keep going back to the wrong place. Without forgetting your mind would just continually accrue data. The mark of intelligence is knowing what you need to know and what you can forget.

So, let’s sing the praises of…um, what was it we were singing the praises of again?