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About this quote

What does it mean?
Human wisdom is often forgotten or stored away shortly after it is created.
In plain terms
People forget most of what they learn soon after they learn it.
What can you take from it?
Value knowledge before it is stored and forgotten.

Where it applies

  • studying history
  • documenting ideas
  • personal learning

Putting it to work

  • keep a journal
  • review notes often
  • teach others

Questions to consider

  • What have you learned recently that you are already forgetting?
  • How do you preserve important insights?

Another view

Some wisdom is intentionally forgotten to move forward.

More from Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

  1. To be content with life - or to live merrily, rather - all that is required is that we bestow on all things only a fleeting, superficial glance; the more thoug…

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  2. Before one blames, one should always find out whether one cannot excuse. To discover little faults has been always the particularity of such brains that are a …

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  3. The sure conviction that we could if we wanted to is the reason so many good minds are idle.

    Permalink to quote #97

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