--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To forgive is merely to remember only the…" description: "\"To forgive is merely to remember only the loving thoughts you gave in the past, and those that were given you. All the rest must be forgotten.\" — Maria..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/marianne-williamson-90_forgive_to-forgive-is-merely-to-remember-only-th_2290338.png" --- # To forgive is merely to remember only the loving thoughts… ![“To forgive is merely to remember only the loving thoughts you gave in the past, and those that were given you. All the rest must be forgotten.” quote by Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/marianne-williamson-90_forgive_to-forgive-is-merely-to-remember-only-th_2290338.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/marianne-williamson-90_forgive_to-forgive-is-merely-to-remember-only-th_2290338.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/marianne-williamson-90_forgive_to-forgive-is-merely-to-remember-only-th_2290338.png) > “To forgive is merely to remember only the loving thoughts you gave in the past, and those that were given you. All the rest must be forgotten.” [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Forgiveness involves focusing on loving memories and releasing the rest. **In simple terms:** Remember love, let go of hurt. Key Takeaway Practice selective remembrance. Themes forgiveness memory love Mood reflective hopeful calm Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - relationship conflict - personal trauma - family disputes - self‑healing - grief counseling Key Concepts Psychology spirituality Questions to Reflect On - Which loving memory can you hold onto? - How does releasing resentment change you? A Different Perspective Hard to truly forget painful experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Forgiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiving/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I suppose that we are only young, Chris, so long as we can forget. After that we merely remember!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/i-suppose-that-we-are-only-young-chris-so-long-as-we-can-forget-after/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) > [In writing one draws in the rest, the forgotten parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/in-writing-one-draws-in-the-rest-the-forgotten-parts/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [The past has been given to us. The future must be built, as others have built our past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gladys-hasty-carroll/the-past-has-been-given-to-us-the-future-must-be-built-as-others-have/) [Gladys Hasty Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gladys-hasty-carroll/) > [“If you remember,” he said, “and have a past, then you can be given the blame and be punished. See – if you don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/if-you-remember-he-said-and-have-a-past-then-you-can-be-given-the/) [Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/) > [“The past has been given to us,' Miss Hester said. 'The future must be built, as others have built our past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gladys-hasty-carroll/the-past-has-been-given-to-us-miss-hester-said-the-future-must-be/) [Gladys Hasty Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gladys-hasty-carroll/) > [“The past has given us much too many bad answers for us not to see that the mistakes were in the questions themselves. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-invisible-committee/the-past-has-given-us-much-too-many-bad-answers-for-us-not-to-see/) [The Invisible Committee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-invisible-committee/) > [Part of forgiving people is releasing them from our own agendas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/part-of-forgiving-people-is-releasing-them-from-our-own-agendas/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [When it comes to our money and work lives, most of us have had our challenges, our valleys. Most of us have a couple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/when-it-comes-to-our-money-and-work-lives-most-of-us-have-had-our/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [All manifestation of fear is a reflection of the fact that humanity has forgotten its spiritual identity. In beginning to remember it, we put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/all-manifestation-of-fear-is-a-reflection-of-the-fact-that-humanity/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [All men have parties and are pals who never let each other down. A pal can say terrible things which are forgotten the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/all-men-have-parties-and-are-pals-who-never-let-each-other-down-a-pal/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [Many of you wished me dead. Many of you perhaps still do. But I hold no grudges and seek no revenge. I demand only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-caesar/many-of-you-wished-me-dead-many-of-you-perhaps-still-do-but-i-hold-no/) [Julius Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-caesar/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Forgive us our trespasses," says Margarethe, "and get out of our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/forgive-us-our-trespasses-says-margarethe-and-get-out-of-our-way/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [Forgive me for noting that conservatives seem to believe that the rich will work harder if we give them more, and the poor will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-j-dionne/forgive-me-for-noting-that-conservatives-seem-to-believe-that-the/) [E. J. Dionne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-j-dionne/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) ## More by Marianne Williamson > [The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-goal-of-spiritual-practice-is-full-recovery-and-the-only-thing/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Great people are not people who have never fallen down. Greatness has to do with how you get back up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/great-people-are-not-people-who-have-never-fallen-down-greatness-has/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I feel that if your soul was branded by the sixties, you never lost the brand. It's like going into a nightclub and having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-feel-that-if-your-soul-was-branded-by-the-sixties-you-never-lost/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Until we have met the monsters in ourselves, we keep trying to slay them in the outer world. And we find that we cannot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/until-we-have-met-the-monsters-in-ourselves-we-keep-trying-to-slay/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [No matter how sad we might be, the universe is still planning our happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/no-matter-how-sad-we-might-be-the-universe-is-still-planning-our/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Love is who we are, and when we deviate from that love we're deviating from our ultimate, essential, eternal reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/love-is-who-we-are-and-when-we-deviate-from-that-love-we-re-deviating/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [For many, many people, getting married is one of the most important things they will ever do in the pursuit of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/for-many-many-people-getting-married-is-one-of-the-most-important/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [As all of us are only too aware, the loud and frantic voices of the outer world easily drown out the small, still loving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/as-all-of-us-are-only-too-aware-the-loud-and-frantic-voices-of-the/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [It is not too late. You are not too old. You are right on time-And you are better than you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/it-is-not-too-late-you-are-not-too-old-you-are-right-on-time-and-you/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I tell my mother I went to God in spite of my religious education. I feel that my religious education was inadequate, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-tell-my-mother-i-went-to-god-in-spite-of-my-religious-education-i/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [You don't have to be a spiritual seeker, you can be a businessman dealing with the revolution in computers. You could be a congressman,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-spiritual-seeker-you-can-be-a-businessman/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Dear God, I surrender this thought to you, for I would see the miracle that lies behind it. Amen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/dear-god-i-surrender-this-thought-to-you-for-i-would-see-the-miracle/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Sex is not the ultimate high, but the ultimate high hangs out around sex. The ultimate high is the dance with another person, played…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/sex-is-not-the-ultimate-high-but-the-ultimate-high-hangs-out-around/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) [Explore all 1,347 Marianne Williamson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) ## More Forgive quotes > [“So in practicing blanket forgiveness you first assume that in any current condition of pain or discomfort there is some anger involved, even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-kahili-king/so-in-practicing-blanket-forgiveness-you-first-assume-that-in-any/) Serge Kahili King > [Do what is given to you, and do it well, and you will have done enough...live together in the forgiveness of your sins. Forgive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-what-is-given-to-you-and-do-it-well-and-you-will-have-done-enough/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The public, more often than not, will forgive mistakes, but it will not forgive trying to wiggle out of one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-grizzard/the-public-more-often-than-not-will-forgive-mistakes-but-it-will-not/) [Lewis Grizzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-grizzard/) > [Im so sorry,i screwed up again.i didnt meant hurting you.please,forgive me,again?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/redeyeen/im-so-sorry-i-screwed-up-again-i-didnt-meant-hurting-you-please/) Redeyeen > [“He fell back. He had cried out so loud that even if there had been no breach in the wall, I should have heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/he-fell-back-he-had-cried-out-so-loud-that-even-if-there-had-been-no/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [Forgive us our trespasses," says Margarethe, "and get out of our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/forgive-us-our-trespasses-says-margarethe-and-get-out-of-our-way/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [Ive learned¦ that no matter how good a friend is, theyre going to hurt you every once in a while, and you must forgive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ive-learned-that-no-matter-how-good-a-friend-is-theyre-going-to-hurt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [If you can't forgive and forget, pick only one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-brault/if-you-can-t-forgive-and-forget-pick-only-one/) [Robert Brault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-brault/) > [I feel people relate with your entire journey and forgive your mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahul-vaidya/i-feel-people-relate-with-your-entire-journey-and-forgive-your/) [Rahul Vaidya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahul-vaidya/) > [More courage is required to forgive than is required to take up arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ramos-horta/more-courage-is-required-to-forgive-than-is-required-to-take-up-arms/) [Jose Ramos-Horta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ramos-horta/) > [“The Bible says, “You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/the-bible-says-you-must-make-allowance-for-each-other-s-faults-and/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [“By choosing to forgive, you are choosing to love. By choosing to operate in love, you are choosing to operate in an unconditional state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-watterson/by-choosing-to-forgive-you-are-choosing-to-love-by-choosing-to/) Eric Watterson > [The most important thing about being a father is being able to forgive yourself. If you don't forgive yourself, you're not going to forgive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evander-holyfield/the-most-important-thing-about-being-a-father-is-being-able-to/) [Evander Holyfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evander-holyfield/) Browse all 3,381 Forgive quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To forgive is merely to remember only the loving thoughts you gave in the past, and those that were given you. All the rest must be forgotten.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marianne Williamson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/to-forgive-is-merely-to-remember-only-the-loving-thoughts-you-gave-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Forgive" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/to-forgive-is-merely-to-remember-only-the-loving-thoughts-you-gave-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/marianne-williamson-90_forgive_to-forgive-is-merely-to-remember-only-th_2290338.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/marianne-williamson-90_forgive_to-forgive-is-merely-to-remember-only-th_2290338.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/marianne-williamson-90_forgive_to-forgive-is-merely-to-remember-only-th_2290338.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To forgive is merely to remember only the loving thoughts you gave in the past, and those that were given…” — Marianne Williamson", "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": "Marianne Williamson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To forgive is merely to remember...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/to-forgive-is-merely-to-remember-only-the-loving-thoughts-you-gave-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/to-forgive-is-merely-to-remember-only-the-loving-thoughts-you-gave-in/#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 } } ] } ```