In Praise of Forgetfulness
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In Praise of Forgetfulness

About the Book

Loss of memory and dementia are probably more feared than cancer (for which there are many cures), or even death (after which there is no more suffering). Rather than ignore this fear, talking about it can take it out of the shadowy corner. Let's talk about it. There are many beneficial things about forgetting and being forgotten. What do you think? I'll send you a coupon for a free copy of the pamphlet - use the "email the author" link on the book page.

About the Author

Shukong Ou
Shukong Ou

Shukong is interested in applying available technology to support everyday needs of ordinary people. Hybrid meetings are looming over organizers of meetings who just want to run the meeting (isn't that hard enough?) without having to struggle with figuring out how to have full participation by both in-person and remote attendees. Send me an email askshukong(at)gmail.com describing your hybrid meeting and I'll send you a coupon for a free copy of this booklet.

Table of Contents

  • Disclaimer
    • If you find yourself particularly sad
  • Memory and Forgetfulness
    • Fearless vs. Brave
    • The place you least want to look
    • Stay with me
    • Billy Collins
    • What is memory, anyway? Mistaken attribution
    • Kinds of memory
  • Memory is Useful
    • Memory is how we know who we are
    • Lord Byron’s memoirs
  • Memory is Harmful
    • Humiliation
  • Ordinary Forgetting
    • Repetition does not bother me
    • Technical specifics
  • Beneficial Forgetting
    • Memory unit residents and summer camp
    • Sedatives for medical procedures
    • Benefits for Soldiers (PTSD)
    • Yugoslavia: a Bad Case of Not Enough Forgetting
  • Better Not to Know
    • Security and personal investigations
    • Stories of AJ’s father
    • The right to be forgotten
  • Why It Is Important to Look
    • Fear of loss of memory
    • Ignoring it does not help
    • Talk about it
  • I Can Only Hope
  • Notes to Self

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