《智慧书·第六辑·二五一至三百》第12则
Be able to Forget. It is more a matter of luck than of skill. The things we remember best are those better forgotten. Memory is not only unruly, leaving us in the lurch when most needed, but stupid as well, putting its nose into places where it is not wanted. In painful things it is active, but neglectful in recalling the pleasurable. Very often the only remedy for the ill is to forget it, and all we forget is the remedy. Nevertheless one should cultivate good habits of memory, for it is capable of making existence a Paradise or an Inferno. The happy are an exception who enjoy innocently their simple happiness.
注释摘要
这一则的标题"能够遗忘"与正文第一句之间，构成了一个温和的反讽：标题像是提出一项可以习得的本事，正文立刻告诉我们，这事更多靠运气而非技巧。葛拉西安在这里谈的并不是一种可以被意志调用的能力，而是一种近乎天赋的性情或命运的赠与。那些最善于遗忘的人，往往并不知道自己在遗忘。他一开篇就拆解了自己设下的期待——遗忘恰好是越用力越办不到的事。 记忆在这段文字里被赋予了…