The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-08-22
DAILY THOUGHTS
By r. L. H.
The Value of Forgetting

$500 - tAO "O040 'O~
be chaos and men would be mad
Think of the multitude of things
that are impressed upon the human
mind daily and it is very easy to see
the value Of being able tt discard
things from the memory as time
passes.
That which one remembers is al
ways clamoring for expression. The
sum total which is remembered as
we say is composed of various and
fences. What shall be expressed at
the moment depends upon the situa-
ton with which n finds himself.
For example. If n is talking of
social things he recalls social events
and all else is excluded. His mind
is set, as it were, to think of social
times he has experienced. And we'll
it were so. Else he could not ex-
press one iota Of what he had gone
through because Of other things that
would demand uttcrance.
If all the emotions, all the expert
ences of one day were to demand ex-
preston at one time the individual
would be deemed crazy. The power
to forget prevalent things when the
mind is set a certain way means
sanity. Each day one experiences all
kinds of feelings from the ridiculous
t O the sublime. Chaotic voic.ngs of
these impressions Despeak an unbal-
anced mind.
1t is not to be thought that the
tendency many of us have t. forget
everything is beneficial. On the con-
trary we must possess very good mem
cries to survive the passage of time.
But we must also be able 20 forget
things not pertinent to real living,
things injurious to the general well
fare.
The power Of memory is expressed
psychologically as that power we
Of recalling things that have
been experienced sometime past.
That does not mean that we must at
all times be able to recall everything
we have learned.
1t has been said that perhaps five
minutes ago you did not know that
discovered America. 1t is
meant by this that at that time yon
we're not thinking along the set of
mind that included the discovery OF
ands. You were engrossed perhaps
With the political status Of the two
or you were relating a very
interesting experience in the woods.
Your entire attention was wrapt up
n the nature Of the things under con-
liberation and for the time being you
we're oblivious to all else.. 1t cannot
re said that your memory regarding
explorations of the Genoese was
aulty. You were merely not think /:
ng in terms Of him.
1t is this power of forgetting many
etails Of knowledge and experience
nat cast a healing spirit OF the souls
( men. When you were relating the !
pisode in the great outdoors, any al
lsion to the discovery Of America
rould have branded you as insane.
This same power works its miracles
l everything that we do. IT a man
cts out to do a certain task he can {
OF work efficiently, no matter II :
lat task be n of pleasure or of diff
and distaste, unless he is able (
concentrate completely on the r
ork at hand and tt obviate all other
reyelant matter.
The student who would be proficient I
his classes must be able to study :
story without being interrupted i'll
S reasoning with things outside the n
,alm of history and history hat re- :
ties to what he is studying. ANY
of the good time he had last Z
riday night or of the good times he
going to have are detrimental. He
It only wastes his time if such
ings creep in but he cannot gain
e knowledge that he wishes from
e subject he is working on =
The good cook is, likewise, the cook Y
10 can thing biscuits while she is ,
king biscuits. She must be able to =
row hersel into the environment of
,cuit making. She must thing bis
its, dream biscuits and bake bis
it's. She cannot be Waiting to the Y
tunes of the village orchestra
bake edible biscuits. +"
But the power of forgetting enables p
not only to do our work success .
ly, but it alleviates a world Of sad 4
IS and suffering. 1t changes the -
look of life from one Of gloomy T
eboding to one of bright enchant- 2l
Mt.
We're we to remember all the bitter
we should indeed be in 4 sorry
ght. At least two-thirds of what
do, of what we experience. is I'M
dSdIlt. IL TeuueulDoI Iu0u dll tuS IN
ails of life we should be beings Of 1
rked melancholic traits. r
ut we can remember those things
Y which we wish to remember. And u
4 seeks always to retain those -,
lgs which have benefited him. ~
we remember not the hard Sn
lgs of life, but the comforts and
quickly sorrow and discomfort
forgotten simply because the in M
dual prefers to think and, by think
remember in terms of what has
l pleasant. One "a take a trip
The most inaccessible mountains
lille climbing the rugged noun
s declare the work so far over
noes the pleasures that he will
n go there again. But he no soon
cts away from that place than he
MS to forget the difficulties and
pleasures begin to be intensified
memory.
it is in every walk of life. We p
1t the bitter and immortalize the crac