--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I have something I like to forget…" description: "\"If I have something I like to forget, then I forget it.\" — Gena Rowlands" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/gena-rowlands-15239_forget_if-i-have-something-i-like-to-forget-the_3195092.jpg" --- # If I have something I like to forget, then I forget it. ![“If I have something I like to forget, then I forget it.” quote by Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/gena-rowlands-15239_forget_if-i-have-something-i-like-to-forget-the_3195092.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/gena-rowlands-15239_forget_if-i-have-something-i-like-to-forget-the_3195092.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/gena-rowlands-15239_forget_if-i-have-something-i-like-to-forget-the_3195092.jpg) > “If I have something I like to forget, then I forget it.” [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Forgets intentionally what she prefers not to retain, suggesting a selective approach to memory. **In simple terms:** She chooses to forget what she dislikes. Key Takeaway Practice selective forgetting for emotional health. Themes memory forgetting psychology self‑care intentionality Mood thoughtful introspective calm Type psychological self‑help When to use this quote - therapy - journaling - stress management - personal growth - relationship repair Key Concepts Selective memory cognitive control emotional regulation Questions to Reflect On - What memories would you choose to let go? - Can selective forgetting affect identity? A Different Perspective Memory is not fully controllable; forgetting can have unintended consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) ## Related quotes > [I see you drivin round town with guy I love and I'm like forget you, I guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-see-you-drivin-round-town-with-guy-i-love-and-i-m-like-forget-you-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never have free time, I don't know about you. 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Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-a-davis/) > [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/) > [The more intelligible a thing is, the more easily it is retained in the memory, and counterwise, the less intelligible it is, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/the-more-intelligible-a-thing-is-the-more-easily-it-is-retained-in/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [If you're stupid enough to whiff, you should be smart enough to forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-palmer/if-you-re-stupid-enough-to-whiff-you-should-be-smart-enough-to-forget/) [Arnold Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-palmer/) > [Smile to forget,but never forget to smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/smile-to-forget-but-never-forget-to-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forget me or forget me not, I'll always be a memory away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-james/forget-me-or-forget-me-not-i-ll-always-be-a-memory-away/) [Andrew James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-james/) > [ It was a very hard play \[Woman Under the Influence\] to do every night. 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Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-k-schiller/) > [Occasionally there are people who are not like me, and I forget that they're more introverted or shy, or just don't want to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-coyne/occasionally-there-are-people-who-are-not-like-me-and-i-forget-that/) [Wayne Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-coyne/) > [“Write like you can forget, write and forget. Hold an entire world in your palm then puff. Pierluigi Cappello”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-serrano/write-like-you-can-forget-write-and-forget-hold-an-entire-world-in/) [Claudia Serrano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-serrano/) > [“I like it when you forget about being proper, Lilliane. Whether it is here and now, or last night in your bed, when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mina-lisly/i-like-it-when-you-forget-about-being-proper-lilliane-whether-it-is/) Mina Lisly ## More by Gena Rowlands > [all creative writers need a certain amount of time when they're creating something where nobody should criticize them at all - at all. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/all-creative-writers-need-a-certain-amount-of-time-when-they-re/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [ It was a very hard play \[Woman Under the Influence\] to do every night. And John Cassavetes said, "Don't worry. Don't even think about… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/it-was-a-very-hard-play-woman-under-the-influence-to-do-every-night/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [So I went home and I told my mom that I wanted to quit and be an actress and she said, “Huh, that sounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/so-i-went-home-and-i-told-my-mom-that-i-wanted-to-quit-and-be-an/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [When I went to my parents I was at the University of Wisconsin, and I just couldn't wait anymore to go be an actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/when-i-went-to-my-parents-i-was-at-the-university-of-wisconsin-and-i/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [ I'd wanted to be \[an actress\] all my life. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/i-d-wanted-to-be-an-actress-all-my-life/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [ John Cassavetes was there at night while I was working. After they \[with his friends\] discussed as much live TV as they felt they… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/john-cassavetes-was-there-at-night-while-i-was-working-after-they/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [I always do make a back story for myself, but I'm not sure how necessary it is. I just like to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/i-always-do-make-a-back-story-for-myself-but-i-m-not-sure-how/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [I only watch my movies that I make once, so I can just see how it hangs together, but after that, I don't watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/i-only-watch-my-movies-that-i-make-once-so-i-can-just-see-how-it/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [After you play a part, you think of it as your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/after-you-play-a-part-you-think-of-it-as-your-own/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [ So many people mistakenly think that the rest of his \[John Cassavetes\] pictures and the ones we did were improvised, which isn't true. He… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/so-many-people-mistakenly-think-that-the-rest-of-his-john-cassavetes/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [Of course I would change anything if John Cassavetes said so - it's his script. But he was very easy about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/of-course-i-would-change-anything-if-john-cassavetes-said-so-it-s-his/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [I got a part opposite Edward G. Robinson in a play called Middle of The Night, which Paddy Cheyafsky had written. It played for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/i-got-a-part-opposite-edward-g-robinson-in-a-play-called-middle-of/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [ I read the script of \[Woman Under the Influence \] 50 times. And I thought about it. And then I did it. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/i-read-the-script-of-woman-under-the-influence-50-times-and-i-thought/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [Because John Cassavetes was so terrific in live TV, a lot of his friends had not been able to participate in that yet and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/because-john-cassavetes-was-so-terrific-in-live-tv-a-lot-of-his/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [I can never have a poker face. Anybody looking at me can tell exactly what I'm thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/i-can-never-have-a-poker-face-anybody-looking-at-me-can-tell-exactly/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) [Explore all 43 Gena Rowlands quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) ## 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": "If I have something I like to forget, then I forget it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gena Rowlands" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/if-i-have-something-i-like-to-forget-then-i-forget-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Forget" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/if-i-have-something-i-like-to-forget-then-i-forget-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/gena-rowlands-15239_forget_if-i-have-something-i-like-to-forget-the_3195092.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/gena-rowlands-15239_forget_if-i-have-something-i-like-to-forget-the_3195092.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/gena-rowlands-15239_forget_if-i-have-something-i-like-to-forget-the_3195092.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I have something I like to forget, then I forget it.” — Gena Rowlands", "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": "Gena Rowlands", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If I have something I like...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/if-i-have-something-i-like-to-forget-then-i-forget-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/if-i-have-something-i-like-to-forget-then-i-forget-it/#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 } } ] } ```