We Only Remember the Things That We Remember

 

We only remember the things that we remember.

Think about that for a moment. It sounds like the first line to a silly limerick. But, really, it's not. We only remember the things that we remember.

It means that our memories are only of those things that we have successfully remembered and have not forgotten. We believe that these memories are all of the occurrences in our lifetime. But this is not true.

"Oh, I remember all the stuff from years ago when I was kid.” But those are only the memories that were significant to you. There are plenty of other things that you don't remember. The same holds true with our most recent memories.

It's important to understand that our memories are not a perfect record of our experiences. They are selective and they can be changed over time. This is because our brains are constantly filtering out information that is not important or relevant to us. This process is called selective attention. Selective attention allows us to focus on the things that are important to us and to ignore the things that are not.

This process of selective attention is also why we tend to remember things that are significant to us. These are the things that have had a big impact on our lives, either positive or negative. We also tend to remember things that are unusual or unexpected. These are the things that stand out from the rest of our experiences.

There are a number of factors that can influence our memories, including:

• The emotional significance of the event: We are more likely to remember events that are emotionally significant to us.

• The amount of attention we pay to the event: We are more likely to remember events that we pay close attention to.

• The frequency with which we recall the event: The more often we recall an event, the more likely we are to remember it in the future.

Our memories are also susceptible to change over time. This is due to a number of factors, including:

• The passage of time: Memories fade over time.

• Our current state of mind: Our memories can be influenced by our current state of mind, such as our mood or our beliefs.

• External factors: Our memories can also be influenced by external factors, such as the information we are exposed to after the event.

It is also important to remember that our memories are constantly changing. As we age, our memories fade and we may forget things that we once knew. This is why it is important to record our memories, either in writing or in photographs. This will help us to preserve our memories and to pass them on to future generations.