The Detroit times., 1917-07-30
Things We Forget
ny u. ADDINGroy BRUCE
Author OF This Riddle OF Person
Slity." Psychology and
parenthood." etc.

Modern psychology has developed
some Interesting and remarkable Ell.
plantations for uncommon mental
phenomena, bat none moro interest.
Ing or remarkable than the so-called
Freudian explanation for the com
mon phenomenon OF forgetting peo
Pies names, forgetting appoint
ments, etc.
When We forget q proper name
that we ought 20 be able TO recall.
when We forget 10 keep an appoint
ment, when we forget the where
abouts OF some document or article
that we perhaps have carefully put
aside for safekeepinx. our forgetful
ness Is OF course annoying 10 US. But
most OF us would not attach any
special significance TO H.
Our feeling would be that we
merely happened 20 forget the name
appointment. or article. Not so,
says the Austrian psychologist. Dr
Sigmund Freud.
Such torgettulnees. he declares, Is
the result OF secret subconscious
desire 70 forget
For one reason OF smother ths
name. appointment, OF article In
question Is connected IN our mind
with something unpleasant 20 rs
We do not wish 20 have 20 think OF
this. and we avoid thinking OF II
by the convenient means OF forget
ting the thing that would remind us
OF IL.
II IS not that we Intentionally for.
get We forget simply and quite IN.
Willingly in order the better 20 at
tain what Dr. Freud calls the obi.
viscence az the disagreeable.
There can be no doubt that this
explanation holds good in an aston.
ishing number OF cases. IL may not
hold good with the universally
claimed FOR Il by F>reudlan psychol
ogis's Put It's soundness can often
be demonstrated.
And ANYBODY can test Il for him.
self by a little patient seifanalysis.
The next time. FOR example. that
you forget 10 keep an appointment
sir down and rigidly scrutinize tha
/ IDEAS that come into your mind
when Won concentrate on the
/ thought OF The appointment you
have not kept
! D. tho same with forgotten
names. mislaid articles. and The
like The chance is strong that
You will ultimately End 3 suhcon.
scious motive for the forgetting
Frequently The motive viii DO
found almost on the very surface of
your consciousness.
II Is a question say. 81 an ap-
poin,ment with your dentist You
were 70 have visited him az 30
O'Clock A. y YOU suddenly re
member hat you have not been near
him
Yonr forgetfulness in this case
will cost you some money. You wi''
have 20 paw for the Apo .nfmeni
you failed 70 keep
Rut s,so your forgetting 20 keen
II enabled you 20 avoid expe Ifd
pain
Is thcre not a logical subconsclous
motive for your forgetfulness IN
this Instance Moreover. does "
not suggest hat YOU perhaps ars
sonowhm eoUardly-at any rate
where dentists are concerned
MtEftl hNh SID VI 0'''A 'f'''
lapses. Ia fact. is sometimes really
valuable as revcaler % character
when The Frcudian principle OF sub
conscious motives Is kept N view
And sometimes n reveals the true
attitude OF other people toward rs
As one American psychologist. DIT
A a Brill has tersely observed
"a lover never misplaces a letter
/ from his sweetheart. nor does ne
mislav or forget 20 mail letter
written 20 her
Not that I personally would In
dorso the Freudian explanation In
whole Much forgetting. as see l.
"a due simply 20 lnadequacy OF th'
mental Impressions originally MADE
by tho thing forgotten
but IL certainly is important 70
recognize that in any specific In
stance OF forgotfulners subcon'
scious motive for forgetting may 40
tually be the cause that makes US
forget. Recognizing this. We can
gain greater knowledge regarding
both ourselves and other people.
Parcels sent 70 prisoners OF war
abroad mostly in Germany averaged