--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One may forgive infidelity, but one does…" description: "\"One may forgive infidelity, but one does not forget it.\" — Madame de La Fayette" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf4/madame-de-la-fayette-37225_betrayal_one-may-forgive-infidelity-but-one-does_2941673.jpg" --- # One may forgive infidelity, but one does not forget it. ![“One may forgive infidelity, but one does not forget it.” quote by Madame de La Fayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf4/madame-de-la-fayette-37225_betrayal_one-may-forgive-infidelity-but-one-does_2941673.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf4/madame-de-la-fayette-37225_betrayal_one-may-forgive-infidelity-but-one-does_2941673.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf4/madame-de-la-fayette-37225_betrayal_one-may-forgive-infidelity-but-one-does_2941673.jpg) > “One may forgive infidelity, but one does not forget it.” [Madame de La Fayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-la-fayette/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Infidelity can be forgiven, but its memory persists, shaping trust and relationships. **In simple terms:** You can forgive, but not forget betrayal. Key Takeaway Recognize the lasting impact of betrayal. Themes trust forgiveness memory relationships Mood thoughtful cautious Type personal relationship When to use this quote - marriage counseling - friendship repair - personal reflection on past hurts Key Concepts psychology of betrayal emotional resilience relationship dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to heal after betrayal? - Can trust be rebuilt fully? A Different Perspective Forgiveness may not erase emotional scars, affecting future intimacy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Betrayal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betrayal/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Does Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/does-forget-2807644/) [Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) [Forget it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget-it/) [Forgive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgive/) [Forgive Infidelity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgive-infidelity-3162855/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Forgiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiving/) [Infidelity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infidelity/) [Infidelity Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infidelity-does-3391663/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) ## Related quotes > [Women forgive infidelity easily, men don't](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mazher-mazher50/women-forgive-infidelity-easily-men-don-t/) [Mazher (@mazher50](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mazher-mazher50/) > [“Tom Paine wrote in The Age of Reason: Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists in professing to believe what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/tom-paine-wrote-in-the-age-of-reason-infidelity-does-not-consist-in/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/infidelity-does-not-consist-in-believing-or-in-disbelieving-it/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/it-is-necessary-to-the-happiness-of-man-that-he-be-mentally-faithful-2/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe. It is impossible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/infidelity-does-not-consist-in-believing-or-in-disbelieving-it-2/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [You may forget your childhood, but your childhood does not forget you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dibdin/you-may-forget-your-childhood-but-your-childhood-does-not-forget-you/) [Michael Dibdin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dibdin/) > [“he  x does not forget the cry of the afflicted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-x-does-not-forget-the-cry-of-the-afflicted/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But one does not forget by trying to forget. One only remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/but-one-does-not-forget-by-trying-to-forget-one-only-remembers/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [If you do something for someone else, never remember. If someone does something for you, never forget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/if-you-do-something-for-someone-else-never-remember-if-someone-does/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [“Love does not forget!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-flinn/love-does-not-forget/) [Alex Flinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-flinn/) > [“Would age now swiftly overtake him? Would this terrible nodding last now for all his days, so that men said aloud in his presence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/would-age-now-swiftly-overtake-him-would-this-terrible-nodding-last/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [We pardon infidelities, but we do not forget them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-la-fayette/we-pardon-infidelities-but-we-do-not-forget-them/) [Madame de La Fayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-la-fayette/) > [I don't want to sell myself short. You hurt your spouse, not so much by the infidelity, but by the negative feelings about yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-zaslow/i-don-t-want-to-sell-myself-short-you-hurt-your-spouse-not-so-much-by/) [Michael Zaslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-zaslow/) > [If you leave someone for another person, don't be surprised if that person leaves you for someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-leave-someone-for-another-person-don-t-be-surprised-if-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God’s faithfulness is stronger than our unfaithfulness and our infidelities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-s-faithfulness-is-stronger-than-our-unfaithfulness-and-our/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) ## More by Madame de La Fayette > [If I had a lover who wanted to hear from me every day, I would break with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-la-fayette/if-i-had-a-lover-who-wanted-to-hear-from-me-every-day-i-would-break/) [Madame de La Fayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-la-fayette/) > [If one thinks that one is happy, that is enough to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-la-fayette/if-one-thinks-that-one-is-happy-that-is-enough-to-be-happy/) [Madame de La Fayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-la-fayette/) > [I have left all my business and all my husbands; I have taken with me only fair weather and my children, which is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-la-fayette/i-have-left-all-my-business-and-all-my-husbands-i-have-taken-with-me/) [Madame de La Fayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-la-fayette/) > [You love writing; I hate it; and if I had a lover who expected a note from me every morning, I should certainly break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-la-fayette/you-love-writing-i-hate-it-and-if-i-had-a-lover-who-expected-a-note/) [Madame de La Fayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-la-fayette/) > [Most mothers think that to keep young people away from love-making it is enough never to speak of it in their presence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-la-fayette/most-mothers-think-that-to-keep-young-people-away-from-love-making-it/) [Madame de La Fayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-la-fayette/) > [We pardon infidelities, but we do not forget them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-la-fayette/we-pardon-infidelities-but-we-do-not-forget-them/) [Madame de La Fayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-la-fayette/) > [One is very weak when one is in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-la-fayette/one-is-very-weak-when-one-is-in-love/) [Madame de La Fayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-la-fayette/) [Explore all 8 Madame de La Fayette quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-la-fayette/) ## More Betrayal quotes > [“That's the catch about betrayal, of course: that it feels good, that there's something immensely pleasurable about moving from a complicated relationship which involves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/that-s-the-catch-about-betrayal-of-course-that-it-feels-good-that/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [God’s faithfulness is stronger than our unfaithfulness and our infidelities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-s-faithfulness-is-stronger-than-our-unfaithfulness-and-our/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“Flattery looks like friendship, just like a wolf looks like a dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/flattery-looks-like-friendship-just-like-a-wolf-looks-like-a-dog/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [There is no deceit in death. It delivers precisely what it has promised. Betrayal, though ... betrayal is the willful slaughter of hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/km-ii/there-is-no-deceit-in-death-it-delivers-precisely-what-it-has/) [KM II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/km-ii/) > [If you leave someone for another person, don't be surprised if that person leaves you for someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-leave-someone-for-another-person-don-t-be-surprised-if-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As they say in New York, Get over it and, if you can't get over it, Get over talking about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-keyes/as-they-say-in-new-york-get-over-it-and-if-you-can-t-get-over-it-get/) [Marian Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-keyes/) > [“He returned her gaze, yearning for sentimental solace; love which emanated from a familiar source, mattered little how bedevilling. They shared an intimate moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-septimius/he-returned-her-gaze-yearning-for-sentimental-solace-love-which/) [A. H. Septimius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-septimius/) > [I was always here for you,you knew you could count on me and trust me blindly, and you knew that I would never tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hayssus/i-was-always-here-for-you-you-knew-you-could-count-on-me-and-trust-me/) [Michael Hayssus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hayssus/) > [Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/joy-doesn-t-betray-but-sustains-activism-and-when-you-face-a-politics/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“Betrayal and love are not mutually exclusive." (Mordred)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-mercer/betrayal-and-love-are-not-mutually-exclusive-mordred/) [Aldous Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-mercer/) > [Love comes exactly... To those who still hope, even though they've been disappointed. To those who still believe, even though they've been betrayed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mizhan/love-comes-exactly-to-those-who-still-hope-even-though-they-ve-been/) [Mizhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mizhan/) > [For some people, a one-night stand doesn't make any difference in a seven-year love affair. I don't believe the degree of betrayal is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/for-some-people-a-one-night-stand-doesn-t-make-any-difference-in-a/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) > [Betrayal is a serious thing in this world,you know what else is serious? Being lied to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina/betrayal-is-a-serious-thing-in-this-world-you-know-what-else-is/) [Sabrina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina/) > [The greatest temptation for the like of us is: to renounce violence, to repent, to make peace with oneself. Most revolutionaries fell before this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-greatest-temptation-for-the-like-of-us-is-to-renounce-violence-to/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [“Sarai, you never know who might betray you until it’s too late.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-redmerski/sarai-you-never-know-who-might-betray-you-until-it-s-too-late/) [J.A. Redmerski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-redmerski/) [Browse all 2,050 Betrayal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betrayal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One may forgive infidelity, but one does not forget it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Madame de La Fayette" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-la-fayette/one-may-forgive-infidelity-but-one-does-not-forget-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Betrayal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-la-fayette/one-may-forgive-infidelity-but-one-does-not-forget-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf4/madame-de-la-fayette-37225_betrayal_one-may-forgive-infidelity-but-one-does_2941673.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf4/madame-de-la-fayette-37225_betrayal_one-may-forgive-infidelity-but-one-does_2941673.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf4/madame-de-la-fayette-37225_betrayal_one-may-forgive-infidelity-but-one-does_2941673.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One may forgive infidelity, but one does not forget it.” — Madame de La Fayette", "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": "Madame de La Fayette", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-la-fayette/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "One may forgive infidelity, but one...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-la-fayette/one-may-forgive-infidelity-but-one-does-not-forget-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-la-fayette/one-may-forgive-infidelity-but-one-does-not-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 } } ] } ```