---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ricoeur describes forgetting as both an…"
description: "\"“Ricoeur describes forgetting as both an active and a passive act: the individual’s responsibility to keep the event remembered is just as important as..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ac/yugin-teo-185941_forgetting_ricoeur-describes-forgetting-as-both-an_1173695.jpg"
---

#  Ricoeur describes forgetting as both an active and a…

![“Ricoeur describes forgetting as both an active and a passive act: the individual’s responsibility to keep the event remembered is just as important as the changing political environment that is beyond the individual’s control. Neglect, or an unwillingness to revisit the past, constitutes an active…” quote by Yugin Teo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ac/yugin-teo-185941_forgetting_ricoeur-describes-forgetting-as-both-an_1173695.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ac/yugin-teo-185941_forgetting_ricoeur-describes-forgetting-as-both-an_1173695.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ac/yugin-teo-185941_forgetting_ricoeur-describes-forgetting-as-both-an_1173695.jpg)

> ““Ricoeur describes forgetting as both an active and a passive act: the individual’s responsibility to keep the event remembered is just as important as the changing political environment that is beyond the individual’s control. Neglect, or an unwillingness to revisit the past, constitutes an active act of forgetting. The responsibility of the individual to give an account (or testimony) of a significant event, and the need to remember and mourn the past, form some of Ricoeur’s ethical concerns in Memory, History, Forgetting.””

[Yugin Teo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yugin-teo/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Forgetting involves both active neglect and passive omission; individuals must remember and mourn past events despite uncontrollable political forces.

**In simple terms:** Forgetting is both neglect and omission.

Key Takeaway

Remember and mourn history.

Themes

memory forgetting responsibility ethics politics

Mood

thoughtful serious reflective

Type

Forgetting:1 Neglect:1 Responsibility:1 Act Forgetting:1 Forgetting Responsibility:1 Forgetting Active:1 Describes Forgetting:1

When to use this quote

- personal memoirs
- historical research
- activism

Key Concepts

philosophy history psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance remembering with moving forward?
- What responsibilities do you hold toward collective memory?

A Different Perspective

Active forgetting can be a coping mechanism, not always unethical.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Act Forgetting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/act-forgetting-3208010/) [Describes Forgetting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/describes-forgetting-3412728/) [Forgetting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgetting/) [Forgetting Active](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgetting-active-3412727/) [Forgetting Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgetting-responsibility-3412726/) [Neglect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neglect/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/)

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> [“It's my fault. I am forgetting too much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/it-s-my-fault-i-am-forgetting-too-much/)

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> [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/)

[Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/)

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[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 1,010 Forgetting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgetting/)

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