The Steep Path of Forgetfulness – When Career Climbing Erases Memories

It’s fascinating how some people climb the career ladder like mountain goats on steroids—agile, determined, and with an impressive ability to forget where they came from. Those who once stood by your side, toasting with cheap beer on your balcony and swearing they’d never forget their roots, suddenly seem to develop a form of selective amnesia.

And no, this is not a bitter reflection. It’s more of an affectionate and slightly ironic observation of human nature, where hierarchies and social status sometimes act as a magical eraser for old friendships.

From Friend to Corporate Shark

It often starts innocently. Maybe an old friend gets their first management job, and suddenly, they’re a little harder to reach. “Super busy right now, but let’s catch up soon!” they say. Fair enough. Careers demand sacrifice.

But after a few months, you realize that “catching up soon” never actually happens.

Then one day, your paths cross again—on the street, at an airport, or perhaps at an event where, for some reason, you find yourself on the wrong side of the velvet rope. You say hello, but in their eyes, you see the same expression as someone trying to remember their old home economics teacher’s name. A brief pause, an awkward smile, and then:

"Oh! Wow, it’s been ages… um, how are you again?"

And there you stand. Once a trusted friend, now reduced to a vaguely familiar silhouette from the past.

The Evolution of Forgetfulness

This phenomenon isn’t new. History is full of examples of people who, as they climbed, seemed to lose their memory. Roman emperors conveniently forgot old allies when they were no longer useful. The star lawyer who once shared instant noodles in a student dorm now barely recalls that you helped them move—twice.

The most fascinating part? It’s not even intentional. No, this is almost a biological phenomenon. The brain seems to clear out background processes as social capital gets upgraded. The friendships of early careers vanish as seamlessly as outdated files in a software update—sometimes without the person even realizing it.

The Professional Persona™

As people climb the ladder, they often create a new version of themselves—a professional persona capable of handling board meetings, business lunches, and networking events without appearing too human.

Those who once drank straight from the bottle at music festivals now say things like:

"I’ll have an espresso macchiato, please. No sugar cubes."

It’s as if they’ve downloaded a new vocabulary where old expressions and memories are no longer compatible with their updated software.

Do You Remember When…?

If you ever get the chance to ask:

"Do you remember when we worked that terrible job together and planned to start our own business?"

There are three possible responses:

1. The Fake Memory Gap: "Oh wow, that was so long ago… but yeah, maybe!" (They don’t remember.)
2. The Rewritten History: "Yeah, but wasn’t that mostly your idea?" (Suddenly, it was never their dream.)
3. The Professional Politeness: "Haha, oh yeah! Good times! Anyway, I have to run to a meeting." (And just like that, they vanish—like a LinkedIn post lost in the algorithm.)

The Art of Not Taking It Personally

The easiest reaction would be to take this as a personal insult. But honestly, it’s not worth it. Because if we’re being truthful—haven’t we all changed?

Maybe we, too, have forgotten some of the people who supported us at different stages of life. Maybe we, too, have built our own filters and priorities.

So next time you run into an old friend who seems to have developed career-induced memory loss, try this little experiment:

1. Bring up a truly specific inside joke from the past.
2. Watch their reaction—do they recognize it, or do they look like you’re speaking ancient Sumerian?
3. If they remember—congratulate them on still having a soul.
4. If they don’t—just smile, shake your head, and move on.

Because in the end, it’s not really about them forgetting you. It’s about how some people, on their way up, pack so lightly that they even leave their own past behind.

And that’s okay. Those of us who remember know that real friendship isn’t measured in titles or LinkedIn connections—but in the moments where we actually see each other, no matter where we are in life.