We all forget things from time to time. We forget to return an email or complete a task at work. We forget a project that we worked on a few years ago. We forget clients’ names. And we’re usually pretty hard on ourselves because of it.
But according to recent research, being forgetful is not necessarily bad. It’s not a weakness or a fault. There are actually a lot of positive things associated with forgetting, including the following:
- It helps you to be more accepting of new ideas. When we forget the way we did something in the past, we become more open to new approaches and new ways of doing things. Forgetting outdated information allows us to learn new and better techniques.
- It unclutters your mind. When we forget minor things, it’s often because we’re using all of our effort to focus on more important problems and issues. Forgetting prevents us from wasting our energy on minor stuff, and gives us the ability to be more creative, make better decisions, and produce more effective solutions.
- It makes you feel better. Sometimes, forgetting something embarrassing or vaguely upsetting that might have happened at work or on a past project can be a good thing. It can help you to move on and feel better about yourself and your abilities.
Shellenbarger, S. (2019, January 22). Why forgetfulness might actually help you. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from: https://www.wsj.com/articles/forgive-yourself-for-that-thing-you-forgot-11548169275?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=12
