--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is why I forgive, but I don't…" description: "\"This is why I forgive, but I don't forget. When you forget someone, the forgiveness doesn't mean anything anymore.\" — Barry Lyga" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/barry-lyga-3439_forget_this-is-why-i-forgive-but-i-don-t-forget_166344.png" --- # This is why I forgive, but I don't forget. When you forget… ![“This is why I forgive, but I don't forget. When you forget someone, the forgiveness doesn't mean anything anymore.” quote by Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/barry-lyga-3439_forget_this-is-why-i-forgive-but-i-don-t-forget_166344.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/barry-lyga-3439_forget_this-is-why-i-forgive-but-i-don-t-forget_166344.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/barry-lyga-3439_forget_this-is-why-i-forgive-but-i-don-t-forget_166344.png) > “This is why I forgive, but I don't forget. When you forget someone, the forgiveness doesn't mean anything anymore.” [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Forgiveness without memory loses its depth; remembering preserves the lesson and prevents repeat harm. **In simple terms:** Forgiving but not forgetting keeps the lesson alive. Key Takeaway Remember the cause to keep forgiveness meaningful. Themes forgiveness memory growth Mood reflective serious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - conflict resolution - self‑reflection Key Concepts psychology ethical reflection Questions to Reflect On - How does remembering affect your ability to forgive? - What boundaries do you set after forgiving? A Different Perspective Forgiveness alone may not heal wounds if not paired with accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Forgetting someone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgetting-someone/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Forgiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiving/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) ## Related quotes > [“See, forgiveness doesn't happen all at once. It's not an event -- it's a process. Forgiveness happens while you're asleep, while you're dreaming, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/see-forgiveness-doesn-t-happen-all-at-once-it-s-not-an-event-it-s-a/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [See, forgiveness doesn't happen all at once. It's not an event - it's a process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/see-forgiveness-doesn-t-happen-all-at-once-it-s-not-an-event-it-s-a-2/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [“I understand that you are claiming it is almost impossible to forgive, but only easier to forget. The truth is that, you can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/i-understand-that-you-are-claiming-it-is-almost-impossible-to-forgive/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [“That only by forgiveness could she forget—and that forgiveness was not a single act, but a matter of constant practice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/that-only-by-forgiveness-could-she-forget-and-that-forgiveness-was/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“Forgiveness isn’t about forgetting. Unless you lose your memory, you never forget. Forgiveness is about not letting the memory manipulate you like it once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nesly-clerge/forgiveness-isn-t-about-forgetting-unless-you-lose-your-memory-you/) [Nesly Clerge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nesly-clerge/) > [“She would not allow herself to remember how Note had treated her, and many others too, she suspected. She had forgiven him, yes, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-would-not-allow-herself-to-remember-how-note-had-treated-her-and/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“what he had learned himself by pain and grace? That only by forgiveness could she forget – and that forgiveness was not a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/what-he-had-learned-himself-by-pain-and-grace-that-only-by/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [It’s hard to forget, but forgiveness is something you do for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azim-khamisa/it-s-hard-to-forget-but-forgiveness-is-something-you-do-for-yourself/) Azim Khamisa > [“How to tell her in words, then, what he had learned himself by pain and grace? That only by forgiveness could she forget—and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/how-to-tell-her-in-words-then-what-he-had-learned-himself-by-pain-and/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [I love a lot of people in bands and people doing weird art stuff, but i will always forget someone and i don't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-chippendale/i-love-a-lot-of-people-in-bands-and-people-doing-weird-art-stuff-but/) [Brian Chippendale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-chippendale/) > [Every time someone forgets, someone else disappears,' my brother wrote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/every-time-someone-forgets-someone-else-disappears-my-brother-wrote/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [Forgetting someone is not that easy , more you like that person so much ..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/forgetting-someone-is-not-that-easy-more-you-like-that-person-so-much/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A person cannot forget someone who is good to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/a-person-cannot-forget-someone-who-is-good-to-them/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [The other death for an actor is comparing yourself to other people: Forget someone else's path. Concentrate on your path. Otherwise, you get lost,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/the-other-death-for-an-actor-is-comparing-yourself-to-other-people/) [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) > [When you put so much effort to forget someone, the effort itself becomes a memory. Then you have to forget the forgetting, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-toltz/when-you-put-so-much-effort-to-forget-someone-the-effort-itself/) [Steve Toltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-toltz/) ## More by Barry Lyga > [“People can wonder and ponder and imagine all they want. But their curiosity does not entitle them to enter my world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/people-can-wonder-and-ponder-and-imagine-all-they-want-but-their/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [“See, forgiveness doesn't happen all at once. It's not an event -- it's a process. Forgiveness happens while you're asleep, while you're dreaming, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/see-forgiveness-doesn-t-happen-all-at-once-it-s-not-an-event-it-s-a/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [“Can they, like get fingerprints from her neck? Can they catch the guy that way?” “This guy isn’t an amateur. He probably used gloves.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/can-they-like-get-fingerprints-from-her-neck-can-they-catch-the-guy/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [“Someone's on the rag," she chides, then grabs her crotch as if adjusting a cup. "And it's not me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/someone-s-on-the-rag-she-chides-then-grabs-her-crotch-as-if-adjusting/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [“That last voice in his head. It hadn't been Billy's. It was his own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/that-last-voice-in-his-head-it-hadn-t-been-billy-s-it-was-his-own/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [“Once he gets inside your head, you're dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/once-he-gets-inside-your-head-you-re-dead/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [Here’s the thing about baseball-it’s not the individual sport I thought it was. Turns out I was wrong about that. Yeah, the batter is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/here-s-the-thing-about-baseball-it-s-not-the-individual-sport-i/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [You don't swing at any pitch. You swing at the ones you can hit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/you-don-t-swing-at-any-pitch-you-swing-at-the-ones-you-can-hit/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [“I'm such a sleep pussy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/i-m-such-a-sleep-pussy/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [Maybe Rachel was right all along. Maybe the past is past, history is history, and you just push it aside and look for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/maybe-rachel-was-right-all-along-maybe-the-past-is-past-history-is/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [Josh Mendel has a secret. Unfortunately, everyone knows what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/josh-mendel-has-a-secret-unfortunately-everyone-knows-what-it-is/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [Yes,” Howie said solemnly. “I can teach you how to be more ‘street’”. “For God’s sake…” “Or is it ‘urban’? I can’t remember. Anyway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/yes-howie-said-solemnly-i-can-teach-you-how-to-be-more-street-for-god/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [And my parents made me want i am. So what? We get stuff from our parents, but we also get stuff from the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/and-my-parents-made-me-want-i-am-so-what-we-get-stuff-from-our/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [“And Jazz snapped. He didn't snap the way a normal person might snap. A normal person would fling his arms around and stomp his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/and-jazz-snapped-he-didn-t-snap-the-way-a-normal-person-might-snap-a/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [Cars are little privacy cocoons that we take with us. If you could refuel while driving you could, theoretically, stay moving forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/cars-are-little-privacy-cocoons-that-we-take-with-us-if-you-could/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) [Explore all 129 Barry Lyga quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) ## More Forget quotes > [I Never met her,i never talked to her,but in my whole day I am either thinking about her or trying to forget her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhananda/i-never-met-her-i-never-talked-to-her-but-in-my-whole-day-i-am-either/) [Subhananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhananda/) > [What people tend to forget is the journey that I had getting to Formula One. There were plenty of years where I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/what-people-tend-to-forget-is-the-journey-that-i-had-getting-to/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [Once upon a time. Ah forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/once-upon-a-time-ah-forget-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Which people take the time to care for their souls, these days? I reckon not many. But...hear this: I think that maybe in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-fletcher/which-people-take-the-time-to-care-for-their-souls-these-days-i/) [Susan Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-fletcher/) > [The problem with people is they forget that most of the time it's the small things that count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/the-problem-with-people-is-they-forget-that-most-of-the-time-it-s-the/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [Remind a man of what he remembers, and you will make him forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/remind-a-man-of-what-he-remembers-and-you-will-make-him-forget-it/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [“So you try, and try, to move past it and forget about them, but it's like they're stuck in your head -- you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/so-you-try-and-try-to-move-past-it-and-forget-about-them-but-it-s/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [People are disturbed not by things but by the view they take of them. They may forget what you said, but they will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [I don't think people will ever forget I was an 'Angel,' anymore than they'll forget Sally Field was 'The Flying Nun.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-ladd/i-don-t-think-people-will-ever-forget-i-was-an-angel-anymore-than/) [Cheryl Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-ladd/) > [If God knows me I will never forget him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trunxbeats/if-god-knows-me-i-will-never-forget-him/) Trunxbeats > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) Browse all 11,315 Forget quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This is why I forgive, but I don't forget. 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