--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Trying to remember, I have learned , is…" description: "\"“Trying to remember, I have learned , is like trying to clutch a handful of fog. Trying to forget, like trying to hold back the mons”\" — Patricia McCor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/patricia-mccormick-18515_trying-to-forget_trying-to-remember-i-have-learned-is-lik_933420.jpg" --- # Trying to remember, I have learned , is like trying to… ![“Trying to remember, I have learned , is like trying to clutch a handful of fog. Trying to forget, like trying to hold back the mons” quote by Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/patricia-mccormick-18515_trying-to-forget_trying-to-remember-i-have-learned-is-lik_933420.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/patricia-mccormick-18515_trying-to-forget_trying-to-remember-i-have-learned-is-lik_933420.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/patricia-mccormick-18515_trying-to-forget_trying-to-remember-i-have-learned-is-lik_933420.jpg) > ““Trying to remember, I have learned , is like trying to clutch a handful of fog. Trying to forget, like trying to hold back the mons”” [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Memory is elusive; trying to recall or forget is like grasping fog—intangible and fleeting. **In simple terms:** Memory is like fog, hard to hold. Key Takeaway Accept the limits of control over thoughts. Themes memory impermanence effort Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - studying - stress management - grief processing - creative writing Key Concepts cognitive limits mental clarity Questions to Reflect On - What strategies help you let go of unwanted memories? - How do you capture fleeting ideas? A Different Perspective Attempting precise recall can cause frustration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fog Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fog-trying-1537395/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Remember Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember-learned-685596/) [Trying Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-forget/) [Trying Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-remember/) [Trying to forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-to-forget/) ## Related quotes > [Trying to remember, I have learned, is like trying to clutch a handful of fog. Trying to forget, like trying to hold back the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mccormick/trying-to-remember-i-have-learned-is-like-trying-to-clutch-a-handful-2/) [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) > [Trying to forget someone who you love is like trying to remember someone you never met](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trying-to-forget-someone-who-you-love-is-like-trying-to-remember/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Trying to forget someone you love is like trying to remember someone you never had met before...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-martinez/trying-to-forget-someone-you-love-is-like-trying-to-remember-someone-6/) [Rafael Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-martinez/) > [Trying to forget being hurt by someone you love is like trying to remember someone you never met.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trying-to-forget-being-hurt-by-someone-you-love-is-like-trying-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Trying to forget someone you love is like trying to remember someone you never knew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trying-to-forget-someone-you-love-is-like-trying-to-remember-someone-5/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Trying to forget being by someone you love is like trying to remember someone you never met](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trying-to-forget-being-by-someone-you-love-is-like-trying-to-remember/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Trying to forget someone that you love. Like trying to remember someone that you never knew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyga/trying-to-forget-someone-that-you-love-like-trying-to-remember/) [Tyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyga/) > [Trying to forget someone who hurt you so much is like trying to remember someone you never met.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levita-charin/trying-to-forget-someone-who-hurt-you-so-much-is-like-trying-to/) [Levita Charin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/levita-charin/) > [Trying to forget someone you love, is like trying to remember someone you've never even met.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trying-to-forget-someone-you-love-is-like-trying-to-remember-someone-4/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Trying to forget someone you love is like trying to remember someone you never knew. Miss you.. :'(](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trying-to-forget-someone-you-love-is-like-trying-to-remember-someone-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Trying to Forget someone you love is like trying to remember someone you never even met](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trying-to-forget-someone-you-love-is-like-trying-to-remember-someone-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Trying to forget someone you loved is like trying to remember someone you never know !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinku-razoria/trying-to-forget-someone-you-loved-is-like-trying-to-remember-someone/) [Tinku Razoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinku-razoria/) > [Trying to forget someone you love is like trying to remember someone you never even met... - Marianne Sihlangu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letting-go/trying-to-forget-someone-you-love-is-like-trying-to-remember-someone/) [Letting Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letting-go/) > [“While he spends all of his time trying to remember, I spend all of my time trying to forget. I don’t want to remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/while-he-spends-all-of-his-time-trying-to-remember-i-spend-all-of-my/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [Trying to forget being hurt by someone is like trying to remember someone you never met](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trying-to-forget-being-hurt-by-someone-is-like-trying-to-remember/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Patricia McCormick > [When I have run out of words to copy, I look out the window at this strange place called India. Inside the train, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mccormick/when-i-have-run-out-of-words-to-copy-i-look-out-the-window-at-this/) [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) > [If you look hard enough, chaos turns into order the way letters turn into words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mccormick/if-you-look-hard-enough-chaos-turns-into-order-the-way-letters-turn/) [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) > [Then I place the blade next to the skine on my palm. A tingle arced across my scalp. The flood tipped up at me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mccormick/then-i-place-the-blade-next-to-the-skine-on-my-palm-a-tingle-arced/) [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) > [Guard the portals of your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mccormick/guard-the-portals-of-your-mind/) [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) > [“Each year, nearly 12,000 Nepali girls are sold by their families, intentionally o r unwittingly, into a life of sexual slavery in the brothels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mccormick/each-year-nearly-12-000-nepali-girls-are-sold-by-their-families/) [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) > [“People who aren't asleep when Ruby comes around have to take sleeping pills. Everyone is afraid of those pills- even the substance- abuse guests.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mccormick/people-who-aren-t-asleep-when-ruby-comes-around-have-to-take-sleeping/) [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) > [I imagine you working on me as an algebra problem, reducing me to fractions, crossing out common denominators, until there's nothing left on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mccormick/i-imagine-you-working-on-me-as-an-algebra-problem-reducing-me-to/) [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) > [This affliction--hope--is so cruel and stubborn, I believe it will kill me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mccormick/this-affliction-hope-is-so-cruel-and-stubborn-i-believe-it-will-kill/) [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) > [Inside my head I carry: my baby goat, my baby brother, my ama's face, our family's future. My bundle is light. My burden is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mccormick/inside-my-head-i-carry-my-baby-goat-my-baby-brother-my-ama-s-face-our/) [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) > [Trying to remember, I have learned, is like trying to clutch a handful of fog. Trying to forget, like trying to hold back the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mccormick/trying-to-remember-i-have-learned-is-like-trying-to-clutch-a-handful-2/) [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) > [The power of storytelling is to free us from isolation, shame, and whatever the situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mccormick/the-power-of-storytelling-is-to-free-us-from-isolation-shame-and/) [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) > [“My bundle is light. My burden is heavy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mccormick/my-bundle-is-light-my-burden-is-heavy/) [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) > [Arriving to class late is disruptive of the learning process. I think that it is disrespectful to both the instructor and the students. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mccormick/arriving-to-class-late-is-disruptive-of-the-learning-process-i-think/) [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) > [Instead, we linger over a luxury that costs nothing: Imagining what may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mccormick/instead-we-linger-over-a-luxury-that-costs-nothing-imagining-what-may/) [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) > [Long time I been on my own, but now really I'm alone. I survive the killing, the starving, all the hate of the Khmer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mccormick/long-time-i-been-on-my-own-but-now-really-i-m-alone-i-survive-the/) [Patricia McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) [Explore all 34 Patricia McCormick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mccormick/) ## More Remember quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) [Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [Contradictory precepts that have guided me for as long as I can remember: 1: I will live forever. 2: I will die tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/contradictory-precepts-that-have-guided-me-for-as-long-as-i-can/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I remember that the bass was turned up slightly more on the mix from last week, and I thought that was good - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ronson/i-remember-that-the-bass-was-turned-up-slightly-more-on-the-mix-from/) [Mark Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ronson/) > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [Memory is funny. Once you hit a vein the problem is not how to remember but how to control the flow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-wolff/memory-is-funny-once-you-hit-a-vein-the-problem-is-not-how-to/) [Tobias Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-wolff/) > [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/) [Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. 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In fact, the healing process can only truly begin when we are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-stone/i-am-told-many-children-block-out-the-memory-of-trauma-in-fact-the/) [Phoebe Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-stone/) [Browse all 23,344 Remember quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Trying to remember, I have learned , is like trying to clutch a handful of fog. 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