The Perils of Memory

Realms of Memory

Beginning with calls for never again, we’re living in an age where the duty to remember has become sacrosanct. Memory has become a means of righting past wrongs, fostering trust and strengthening social cohesion. But is it also possible to see memory as a destabilizing force, undercutting the prospects for peace and stability? This is precisely what David Rieff argues in his book In Praise of Forgetting: Historical Memory and its Ironies. Informed by a decades-long career as a journalist and writer covering conflict zones around the globe, Rieff contends that forgetting is often the best way to reduce harm and suffering. Listen to my conversation with David Reiff and find out how forgetting can sometimes be the answer.