--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the…" description: "\"Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.\" — Michel de Montaigne" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/michel-de-montaigne-142_forget_nothing-fixes-a-thing-so-intensely-in-th_3184610.jpg" --- # Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the… ![“Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.” quote by Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/michel-de-montaigne-142_forget_nothing-fixes-a-thing-so-intensely-in-th_3184610.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/michel-de-montaigne-142_forget_nothing-fixes-a-thing-so-intensely-in-th_3184610.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/michel-de-montaigne-142_forget_nothing-fixes-a-thing-so-intensely-in-th_3184610.jpg) > “Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.” [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intense desire to erase a memory makes it more vivid and persistent. **In simple terms:** Trying to forget strengthens the memory. Key Takeaway Accept and process painful memories. Themes memory psychology grief Mood reflective somber Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - personal reflection - writing - grieving Key Concepts cognitive bias rumination Questions to Reflect On - How does trying to forget affect emotional healing? - Can acceptance reduce the memory’s grip? A Different Perspective Memory suppression can increase distress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [“Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.” —Michel de Montaigne, February 28,1533–September 13, 1592”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-gerard/nothing-fixes-a-thing-so-intensely-in-the-memory-as-the-wish-to-2/) [Cindy Gerard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-gerard/) > [“Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it. —Michel de Montaigne John Ling. Fallen Angel (Kindle Locations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ling/nothing-fixes-a-thing-so-intensely-in-the-memory-as-the-wish-to/) John Ling > [Nothing fixes someone so intently in the memory as the wish to forget them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-fixes-someone-so-intently-in-the-memory-as-the-wish-to-forget/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I pick it up and turn to a random page and read a sentence — 'Nothing fixes a thing so firmly in the memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/i-pick-it-up-and-turn-to-a-random-page-and-read-a-sentence-nothing/) [Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/) > [“Nothing fixes a thing so intently in the memory as the wish to forget it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-patrick/nothing-fixes-a-thing-so-intently-in-the-memory-as-the-wish-to-forget/) [Cat Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-patrick/) > [I wish I can forget you forever,the more I tried to not think about you it makes me near to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-amy-gangte/i-wish-i-can-forget-you-forever-the-more-i-tried-to-not-think-about/) [Jane Amy Gangte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-amy-gangte/) > [Nothing prints more lively in our minds than something we wish to forget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/nothing-prints-more-lively-in-our-minds-than-something-we-wish-to/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [“...here we have the first lesson about the nature of memory: what you wish to forget, you may not be able to. What seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-shpancer/here-we-have-the-first-lesson-about-the-nature-of-memory-what-you/) [Noam Shpancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-shpancer/) > [ “\[...\] the first lesson about the nature of memory: what you wish to forget, you may not be able to. What seems to have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-shpancer/the-first-lesson-about-the-nature-of-memory-what-you-wish-to-forget/) [Noam Shpancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-shpancer/) > [Really wish I could forget about you, makes moving on so much harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/really-wish-i-could-forget-about-you-makes-moving-on-so-much-harder/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wish I could forget you. I wish you would just leave my mind but I guess there's a reason why you're still there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wish-i-could-forget-you-i-wish-you-would-just-leave-my-mind-but-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wish I could forget you, I wish we never met, I wish I didn't feel the way I do, I wish I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wish-i-could-forget-you-i-wish-we-never-met-i-wish-i-didn-t-feel/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God, give me the strength to say the things I wish I could forget; to learn from all my mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-give-me-the-strength-to-say-the-things-i-wish-i-could-forget-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Knowledge may be power, but half of what I know I wish I could forget.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carroll-bryant/knowledge-may-be-power-but-half-of-what-i-know-i-wish-i-could-forget/) [Carroll Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carroll-bryant/) > [And I know you probably wish you never met me, and I just wish you never forget me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/and-i-know-you-probably-wish-you-never-met-me-and-i-just-wish-you/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) ## More by Michel de Montaigne > [No man is exempt from saying silly things; the mischief is to say them deliberately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/no-man-is-exempt-from-saying-silly-things-the-mischief-is-to-say-them/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [The laws keep up their credit, not by being just, but because they are laws; 'tis the mystic foundation of their authority; they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/the-laws-keep-up-their-credit-not-by-being-just-but-because-they-are/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Every one rushes elsewhere and into the future, because no one wants to face one's own inner self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/every-one-rushes-elsewhere-and-into-the-future-because-no-one-wants/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Beauty is the true prerogative of women, and so peculiarly their own, that our sex, though naturally requiring another sort of feature, is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/beauty-is-the-true-prerogative-of-women-and-so-peculiarly-their-own/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [The height and value of true virtue consists in the facility, utility, and pleasure of its exercise; so far from difficulty, that boys, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/the-height-and-value-of-true-virtue-consists-in-the-facility-utility/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Fie on the eloquence that leaves us craving itself, not things!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/fie-on-the-eloquence-that-leaves-us-craving-itself-not-things/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [The plainest sign of wisdom is a continual cheerfulness: her state is like that of things in the regions above the moon, always clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/the-plainest-sign-of-wisdom-is-a-continual-cheerfulness-her-state-is/) [Michel De Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [The corruption of the age is made up by the particular contribution of every individual man; some contribute treachery, others injustice, atheism, tyranny, avarice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/the-corruption-of-the-age-is-made-up-by-the-particular-contribution/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [If people must be talking about me, I would have it to be truthfully and justly. I would willingly return from the next world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/if-people-must-be-talking-about-me-i-would-have-it-to-be-truthfully/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Most pleasures embrace us but to strangle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/most-pleasures-embrace-us-but-to-strangle/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [In true friendship, in which I am expert, I give myself to my friend more than I draw him to me. I not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/in-true-friendship-in-which-i-am-expert-i-give-myself-to-my-friend/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [There are as many and innumerable degrees of wit, as there are cubits between this and heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/there-are-as-many-and-innumerable-degrees-of-wit-as-there-are-cubits/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [A man has need of tough ears to hear himself fairly judged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/a-man-has-need-of-tough-ears-to-hear-himself-fairly-judged/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Lucius Arruntius killed himself, he said, to escape both the future and the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/lucius-arruntius-killed-himself-he-said-to-escape-both-the-future-and/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [I have a vocabulary all my own. I pass the time when itis wet and disagreeable. Whenit is fine I do not wish to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/i-have-a-vocabulary-all-my-own-i-pass-the-time-when-itis-wet-and/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) [Explore all 1,131 Michel de Montaigne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) ## 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": "Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michel de Montaigne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/nothing-fixes-a-thing-so-intensely-in-the-memory-as-the-wish-to-3/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Forget" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/nothing-fixes-a-thing-so-intensely-in-the-memory-as-the-wish-to-3/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/michel-de-montaigne-142_forget_nothing-fixes-a-thing-so-intensely-in-th_3184610.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/michel-de-montaigne-142_forget_nothing-fixes-a-thing-so-intensely-in-th_3184610.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/michel-de-montaigne-142_forget_nothing-fixes-a-thing-so-intensely-in-th_3184610.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.” — Michel de Montaigne", "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": "Michel de Montaigne", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Nothing fixes a thing so intensely...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/nothing-fixes-a-thing-so-intensely-in-the-memory-as-the-wish-to-3/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/nothing-fixes-a-thing-so-intensely-in-the-memory-as-the-wish-to-3/#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 } } ] } ```