--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is hard to forget that which it is…" description: "\"“It is hard to forget that which it is worse than useless to remember.”\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/henry-david-thoreau-20_hard-to-forget_it-is-hard-to-forget-that-which-it-is-wo_2209546.jpg" --- # It is hard to forget that which it is worse than useless… ![“It is hard to forget that which it is worse than useless to remember.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/henry-david-thoreau-20_hard-to-forget_it-is-hard-to-forget-that-which-it-is-wo_2209546.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/henry-david-thoreau-20_hard-to-forget_it-is-hard-to-forget-that-which-it-is-wo_2209546.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/henry-david-thoreau-20_hard-to-forget_it-is-hard-to-forget-that-which-it-is-wo_2209546.jpg) > ““It is hard to forget that which it is worse than useless to remember.”” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement warns that some memories are more harmful than useless, suggesting we should let go of damaging recollections. **In simple terms:** Some memories are harmful and should be released. Key Takeaway Release harmful memories to protect mental health. Themes memory psychology well‑being Mood thoughtful somber Type psychological advice When to use this quote - therapy - personal growth - stress management Key Concepts cognitive science mental health Questions to Reflect On - Which memories hinder your progress? - How can you transform harmful memories into growth? A Different Perspective Forgetting painful memories can be difficult and may erase useful lessons. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Memorable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memorable/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Dont be hard to get, be hard to forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana/dont-be-hard-to-get-be-hard-to-forget/) [Ana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana/) > [It's very hard to forget someone who has given me so much to remember.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jd/it-s-very-hard-to-forget-someone-who-has-given-me-so-much-to-remember/) JD > [“The things that your eyes see plainly and cant forget are worse than huddled black figures left to the imagination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendare-blake/the-things-that-your-eyes-see-plainly-and-cant-forget-are-worse-than/) [Kendare Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendare-blake/) > [Sometimes I feel completely useless then i remember I breathe out carbon dioxide for plants so I guess I'm not that useless after all!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanav-rajput/sometimes-i-feel-completely-useless-then-i-remember-i-breathe-out/) [Kanav Rajput](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanav-rajput/) > [When you're feeling useless, remember that there's someone whom you mean the world to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-re-feeling-useless-remember-that-there-s-someone-whom-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No matter how I try hard to forget you, My eyes only remember you. Can you think of me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-matter-how-i-try-hard-to-forget-you-my-eyes-only-remember-you-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You tried to so hard to forget me; you burnt the letters I made. Though my memory has been dying, I hope the feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-james/you-tried-to-so-hard-to-forget-me-you-burnt-the-letters-i-made-though/) Joshua James > [It's hard to forget someone whom you've imagined spending forever with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-hard-to-forget-someone-whom-you-ve-imagined-spending-forever-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Its so hard to forget that one person who broke your heart! Its hard because you gave them ALL you had left in you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-so-hard-to-forget-that-one-person-who-broke-your-heart-its-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Friends are easy to find, but once they left you,it's so hard to forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracesel-collado/friends-are-easy-to-find-but-once-they-left-you-it-s-so-hard-to-forget/) [Gracesel Collado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracesel-collado/) > [It's hard to forget someone who you've imagined spending forever with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-hard-to-forget-someone-who-you-ve-imagined-spending-forever-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I've tried so hard to stop thinking about him. I've tried so hard to forget his face. I've tried so hard to get those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-ve-tried-so-hard-to-stop-thinking-about-him-i-ve-tried-so-hard-to/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [Sometimes I hate this songs because they bring the past when you we tried hard to forget those memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushan-r-sharma/sometimes-i-hate-this-songs-because-they-bring-the-past-when-you-we/) [Sushan R Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushan-r-sharma/) > [Hard to get hard to forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mctjc/hard-to-get-hard-to-forget/) Mctjc > [It's so hard to forget someone that had gave you soo much to remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-xx/it-s-so-hard-to-forget-someone-that-had-gave-you-soo-much-to-remember/) Sonia Xx ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. 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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": "“It is hard to forget that which it is worse than useless to remember.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-hard-to-forget-that-which-it-is-worse-than-useless-to-remember/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Forget" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-hard-to-forget-that-which-it-is-worse-than-useless-to-remember/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/henry-david-thoreau-20_hard-to-forget_it-is-hard-to-forget-that-which-it-is-wo_2209546.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/henry-david-thoreau-20_hard-to-forget_it-is-hard-to-forget-that-which-it-is-wo_2209546.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/henry-david-thoreau-20_hard-to-forget_it-is-hard-to-forget-that-which-it-is-wo_2209546.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is hard to forget that which it is worse than useless to remember.” — Henry David Thoreau", "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": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is hard to forget that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-hard-to-forget-that-which-it-is-worse-than-useless-to-remember/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-hard-to-forget-that-which-it-is-worse-than-useless-to-remember/#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 } } ] } ```