Changing Master Password need to be more intuitive

Hey jmjm! In this case, writing the password down (or recording it securely somehow, your specifics may vary) is definitely a good idea. There are a lot of ways we try to make 1Password as "safe to use" as possible - meaning that your data is protected, intact, and available when you need it - but there's not much we can do if someone forgets their account password for an individual membership.

What makes that password useful is 1) its mathematical strength (longer password is better!) and 2) the fact that no one but you knows it, which makes life way harder for an attacker.

In short, we don't know your password, don't have access to it, and we don't want to! We feel this creates a much better situation for your security and privacy overall, but you're correct that it can become an issue in the scenario you've described.