Six reasons your memory is stranger than you think
Curated from: bbc.com
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Early memories are not reliable
Scientists believe that it is impossible to recall the first few years of life. Many of the necessary brain structures for memory have not yet matured at the time. It means that it is physiologically impossible for your brain to remember personal events from infancy.
Any recollections are patched together from other knowledge we acquired later on.
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Your memory depends on context
If we learn facts while we are doing something, we will be able to recall them better, when we are doing that same thing again.
You can use this information to your advantage: for instance, try chewing a particular gum while studying.
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Your mental timeline is skewed
Research has shown that we often underestimate the amount of time that has passed from long ago, and overestimate the amount of time that has passed since more recent events.
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You remember an overall impression
Try to describe a person in detail, and you will find that you remember their general features, but the particular details are challenging to recall.
Remembering the overall impression is an advantage. The details of a face may change from day to day, but the general features will remain - meaning that you can still recognize your friend even with a different hairstyle.
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People overestimate their memory
Many people believe their memory is better than average. We forget the times our memory has failed us, and prefer to recall all the times it succeeded. Then we proceed to assume next time we will be accurate.
Subscription services can take advantage of this by offering a free trial for a limited period, after which automatic payments will be made. Many people forget to cancel their subscription.
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Digital amnesia
Posts from Facebook and Instagram can help us to retain certain events. Yet, our memories distort the past events by remembering only the details we recalled and forgetting the information linked to it.
It may make some memories seem more meaningful and memorable than they actually were.
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