Reference:These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘Forgetting’ written by Robert Lynd. 

[ N.B. : The above reference will be used for all the explanations of this lesson. ] 

Context: In this essay the writer deals with the habit of forgetting, keeping in view all of its aspects. He refers to the list of articles lost by railway passengers and comes to the conclusion that absent mindedness is very common. 

Explanation : In these lines the writer describes the opinion of some of the psychologists about forgetting. The psychologists take the case of taking medicine at the right time. The doctor prescribes medicines to be taken before, during or after meals. Thus, the time of meal itself reminds the person to take the medicine. Even then the people generally forget it. In fact we remember to take the medicine at the right time till we are sick because our interest is in the recovery of health. As soon as we improve our health, our interest in taking medicines becomes less. So, we start forgetting to take the medicine at right time. So, it shows that forgetfulness is the result of lack of our interest. That is why the writer says that we forget things because we want to forget them.