--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How is it that our memory is good enough…" description: "\"“How is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not good enough to recollect how often we have tol..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucau_good-enough_how-is-it-that-our-memory-is-good-enough_322556.jpg" --- # How is it that our memory is good enough to retain the… ![“How is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not good enough to recollect how often we have told it to the same person? ~François Duc de La Rochefoucauld” quote by Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucau_good-enough_how-is-it-that-our-memory-is-good-enough_322556.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucau_good-enough_how-is-it-that-our-memory-is-good-enough_322556.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucau_good-enough_how-is-it-that-our-memory-is-good-enough_322556.jpg) > ““How is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not good enough to recollect how often we have told it to the same person? ~François Duc de La Rochefoucauld”” [Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human memory retains trivial details but forgets the frequency of repeating them, highlighting selective recall. **In simple terms:** We remember small facts but forget how often we repeat them. Key Takeaway Be aware of repetitive storytelling. Themes memory communication self-awareness Mood reflective wry Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - daily conversations - storytelling - teaching - public speaking Key Concepts cognitive bias social interaction humor Questions to Reflect On - Do you notice patterns in your own retellings? - How does this affect your relationships? A Different Perspective May overstate the importance of trivial details. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/la-rochefoucauld/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Recollect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recollect/) ## Related quotes > [Why is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not good enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/why-is-it-that-our-memory-is-good-enough-to-retain-the-least/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“How comes it that our memories are good enough to retain even the minutest details of what has befallen us, but not to recollect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/how-comes-it-that-our-memories-are-good-enough-to-retain-even-the/) [Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The truest mark of being born with great qualities is being born without envy. Francois Duc de la Rochefoucauld That awareness is my teaching.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-truest-mark-of-being-born-with-great-qualities-is-being-born/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Poor people know poor people, and rich people know rich people. It is one of the few things La Rochefoucauld did not say, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moss-hart/poor-people-know-poor-people-and-rich-people-know-rich-people-it-is/) [Moss Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moss-hart/) > [Yes, well, let me tell you that if nobody had ever learned to quote, very few people would be in love with La Rochefoucauld.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/yes-well-let-me-tell-you-that-if-nobody-had-ever-learned-to-quote/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires. - Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/absence-diminishes-mediocre-passions-and-increases-great-ones-as-the-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A great man once wrote, "Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and blows up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-white/a-great-man-once-wrote-absence-diminishes-small-loves-and-increases/) [Karen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-white/) > [“The offerings of Machiavelli (1469–1527), Guicciardini (1483–1540), La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) and La Bruyère (1645–96) give us an indication of the manoeuvres that workers may,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/the-offerings-of-machiavelli-1469-1527-guicciardini-1483-1540-la/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [Conservatives are often fond of La Rochefoucauld's famous aphorism that 'Hypocrisy is a tribute that vice pays to virtue,' and so tend to downplay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bari-weiss/conservatives-are-often-fond-of-la-rochefoucauld-s-famous-aphorism/) [Bari Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bari-weiss/) > [“We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others, that in the end, we become disguised to ourselves. — FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-so-accustomed-to-disguise-ourselves-to-others-that-in-the-end/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In literature, too, we admire prose in which a small and astutely arranged set of words has been constructed to carry a large consignment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/in-literature-too-we-admire-prose-in-which-a-small-and-astutely/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [“Virtue would go far if vanity did not keep it company. Francois de La Rochefoucauld”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriela-popa/virtue-would-go-far-if-vanity-did-not-keep-it-company-francois-de-la/) Gabriela Popa > [“We are more interested in making others believe we are happy than in trying to be happy ourselves. —FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fumio-sasaki/we-are-more-interested-in-making-others-believe-we-are-happy-than-in/) [Fumio Sasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fumio-sasaki/) > [Unlike the majority of the writers of his age, La Rochefoucauld was an aristocrat; and this fact gives a peculiar tone to his work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lytton-strachey/unlike-the-majority-of-the-writers-of-his-age-la-rochefoucauld-was-an/) [Lytton Strachey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lytton-strachey/) > [“Afterwards Isabelle often wondered if the moments themselves were greater or the memory of them. At least the memory did not pass, while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-bentley/afterwards-isabelle-often-wondered-if-the-moments-themselves-were/) [Toni Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-bentley/) ## More by Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld > [“Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and fans the bonfire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/absence-diminishes-small-loves-and-increases-great-ones-as-the-wind/) [Francois Duc de la Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“How comes it that our memories are good enough to retain even the minutest details of what has befallen us, but not to recollect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/how-comes-it-that-our-memories-are-good-enough-to-retain-even-the/) [Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“How can you expect another to keep a secret if we have been unable to keep it ourselves?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/how-can-you-expect-another-to-keep-a-secret-if-we-have-been-unable-to/) [Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“433.—The most certain sign of being born with great qualities is to be born without envy. \["Nemo alienae virtuti invidet qui satis confidet suae."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/433-the-most-certain-sign-of-being-born-with-great-qualities-is-to-be/) [Francois Duc de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“357.—Little minds are too much wounded by little things; great minds see all and are not even hurt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/357-little-minds-are-too-much-wounded-by-little-things-great-minds/) [Francois Duc de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The world rewards the appearance of merit oftener than merit itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-world-rewards-the-appearance-of-merit-oftener-than-merit-itself/) [Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“248.—Magnanimity despises all, to win all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/248-magnanimity-despises-all-to-win-all/) [Francois Duc de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“Hypocrisy is a tribute that vice pays to virtue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/hypocrisy-is-a-tribute-that-vice-pays-to-virtue/) [Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [There is merit without elevation, but there is no elevation without some merit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/there-is-merit-without-elevation-but-there-is-no-elevation-without/) [Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [There is a season for man's merit as well as for fruit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/there-is-a-season-for-man-s-merit-as-well-as-for-fruit/) [Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Preserving the health by too strict a regimen is a wearisome malady.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/preserving-the-health-by-too-strict-a-regimen-is-a-wearisome-malady/) [François Duc De La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“Nothing so much prevents our being natural as the desire to seem so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/nothing-so-much-prevents-our-being-natural-as-the-desire-to-seem-so/) [Francois Duc de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) [Explore all 13 Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## More Good enough quotes > [“Ain’t got no shit to fuckin worry on, dig. Ladybird good enough to handle any all comes she fuckin way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacia-kane/ain-t-got-no-shit-to-fuckin-worry-on-dig-ladybird-good-enough-to/) [Stacia Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacia-kane/) > [Don't listen to people who say trying your best is good enough, It's not. First is first! Second is last!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-ryan-of-hereford/don-t-listen-to-people-who-say-trying-your-best-is-good-enough-it-s/) Sir Ryan Of Hereford > [With my songs, the question is always, 'Can you pull it off live, alone on just an acoustic guitar?' That's the litmus test. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/with-my-songs-the-question-is-always-can-you-pull-it-off-live-alone/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [Being of Indian heritage is a challenge - and it's a blessing as well sometimes - because being good isn't good enough. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-dhawan/being-of-indian-heritage-is-a-challenge-and-it-s-a-blessing-as-well/) [Sacha Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-dhawan/) > [The creative strength is good enough and deep enough to bring itself to flower and to grow in spite of this sickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-greenberg/the-creative-strength-is-good-enough-and-deep-enough-to-bring-itself/) [Joanne Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-greenberg/) > [~You told me that you have feelings me then next thing you know you ignore me then I see you flirting with other girls……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-eyes/you-told-me-that-you-have-feelings-me-then-next-thing-you-know-you/) Angel\_eyes > [“Something had been confirmed: I was worth giving a shit about; I was getting to be a successful sick person. Sick is when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-hornbacher/something-had-been-confirmed-i-was-worth-giving-a-shit-about-i-was/) [Marya Hornbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-hornbacher/) > [The first thing you put on in the morning is your lingerie, and you have to look at yourself and tell yourself that you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rain-dove/the-first-thing-you-put-on-in-the-morning-is-your-lingerie-and-you/) [Rain Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rain-dove/) > [I may never be good enough for everybody. But I'll always be the best for someone who's contented to have me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-may-never-be-good-enough-for-everybody-but-i-ll-always-be-the-best/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The fear of not being good enough, the fear of disappointing other people and the fear of failure can really hurt one's personality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/the-fear-of-not-being-good-enough-the-fear-of-disappointing-other/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [“Why do people kill themselves? I think they do it when they can no longer find a reason to keep going. When nothing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beth-miller/why-do-people-kill-themselves-i-think-they-do-it-when-they-can-no/) [Mary Beth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beth-miller/) > [I wasn't good enough. I had a little talent but not enough. There is nothing more discouraging than having just a little talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosamunde-pilcher/i-wasn-t-good-enough-i-had-a-little-talent-but-not-enough-there-is/) [Rosamunde Pilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosamunde-pilcher/) > [You can look at everything from pre-Heisman to post-Heisman, and I think that's why it ranks up at the top, because before then, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-sanders/you-can-look-at-everything-from-pre-heisman-to-post-heisman-and-i/) [Barry Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-sanders/) > [I was so unsuccessful for so long. I was used to the word no. I was used to you're not good enough or not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamar-braxton/i-was-so-unsuccessful-for-so-long-i-was-used-to-the-word-no-i-was/) [Tamar Braxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamar-braxton/) > [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/) [Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/) [Browse all 2,935 Good enough quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“How is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not good enough to recollect how often we have told it to the same person? ~François Duc de La Rochefoucauld”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/how-is-it-that-our-memory-is-good-enough-to-retain-the-least/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Good enough" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/how-is-it-that-our-memory-is-good-enough-to-retain-the-least/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucau_good-enough_how-is-it-that-our-memory-is-good-enough_322556.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucau_good-enough_how-is-it-that-our-memory-is-good-enough_322556.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucau_good-enough_how-is-it-that-our-memory-is-good-enough_322556.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“How is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not good…” — Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“How is it that our memory...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/how-is-it-that-our-memory-is-good-enough-to-retain-the-least/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/how-is-it-that-our-memory-is-good-enough-to-retain-the-least/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```