Forgetting the password or losing track of it over time, is nothing to be scared of. Since the safety of your crypto funds is a prime concern for MetaMask, they offer you a 12-word seed phrase at the time of registration, which you were suggested to store safely for later. This is what you needed the seed phrase or the secure recovery phrase for- getting back access to your MetaMask login account. It verifies your identity and keeps your funds safe in case someone else tries to get access.