Single Idea 24115

[catalogued under 12. Knowledge Sources / E. Direct Knowledge / 4. Memory]

Full Idea

That forgetting exists has never yet been demonstrated, but only that many things do not occur to us when we want them to.

Gist of Idea

There is no proof that we forget things - only that we can't recall

Source

Friedrich Nietzsche (Unpublished Notebooks 1882-84 [1883], 12[1]123)

Book Reference

Nietzsche,Friedrich: 'Fragments from the period of 'Zarathustra' (v 14)', ed/tr. Loeb/Tinsley [Stanford 2019], p.352


A Reaction

There is now quite a lot of evidence that there innumerable memories buried in that mind that we seem unable to directly recall. He is right that we can hardly demonstrate this negative fact.