Final answer:
While painful memories can be distressing, they are an integral part of personal identity and emotional growth. Forgetting such memories could lead to a loss in personal understanding and detachment from past lessons. However, forgetting also provides relief from constant pain, making the balance between remembering and forgetting a personal and complex issue.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author's decision to keep a mental catalog of things he "never shall forget" speaks to the complex nature of memory and its intrinsic value to personal identity and emotional processing. While painful memories can be distressing, they also hold lessons and experiences that shape who we are. If the author were to forget these painful memories, there might be a loss in personal growth, emotional intelligence, and a disconnection from past experiences that can guide future decisions and relationships.
There is a deeper psychological implication in keeping such memories intact. While repressed memories may serve as a coping mechanism, they can resurface, sometimes unexpectedly, indicating that completely eradicating painful memories may not be possible or even beneficial for long-term emotional health. Moreover, reminiscence can serve therapeutic purposes, helping to assimilate difficult experiences within one's life narrative.
Memory is not just about retaining information; it is also about the ability to recall and learn from the past. The act of forgetting, while sometimes a natural process like transience or storage decay, could deprive us of the raw material needed for self-reflection and growth.
However, it's also crucial to recognize that the process of forgetting can provide relief from constant emotional pain and allow individuals to move on with their lives. The balance between remembering and forgetting is delicate and deeply personal.