Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Whatever you stop seeing, you stop thinking about — the proverb's flat answer to 'absence makes the heart grow fonder.'
Origin
First recorded in English in John Heywood's proverb collection (1546): 'Out of sight, out of mind.' Modern psychology has independently confirmed the effect — physical separation reliably erodes attention and emotional priority. Carries the same idea as the older *procul ex oculis, procul ex mente*.
Modern usage
Standard explanation for friendships that drift after a move, employees forgotten after they leave, long-distance relationships that fade, and projects that quietly die when the visible deadline disappears. The cynical counter-proverb to 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'; both are true, depending on which way the relationship was already going.
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