I have a bad memory. I cannot deny it. It lingers like a noose around my neck. Far too many people have pointed it out, some even criticized me for not taking memory-enhancement lessons. I have forgotten dozens of special occasions for loved ones and even forgot to go into work once – penalized two days pay for not phoning in. The other day when I opened the fridge, a kitten we are babysitting jumped in and the door closed. I knew she was in there but forget to let it out. Fortunately for me Sheila was in the kitchen.
Good news though! Remarkably, to scientifically determine that a bad memory can actually make me smarter is a big face-saver for my dignity. If anyone brings up my memory lapses again, I now have a clever response – if I can remember it!
While people might think that having a bad memory would be a hindrance, a new study suggests it could be quite the opposite — especially when it comes to making intelligent decisions. I love hearing these bulletins.
The study reported, The goal of memory may not be to transmit accurate information over time, but instead to only hold onto valuable information. Forgetting is just as important as remembering in how we form and store memories.* �� I was as happy as a dog with two tails to learn about this new research! Memory-disadvantaged people find it easier to adapt to new situations by forgetting irrelevant information. With a lineup of modest memories, it also helps to predict new experiences. Maybe it has too, an aptitude for clairvoyance or betting on the ponies!
Dr. Richards, who researches memory phenomena said, If you’re trying to problem-solve with your brain constantly bringing up conflicting memories, it becomes harder to make an informed decision.
The second way that forgetting helps decision-making is by allowing us to generalize past events into brand new ones. Dr. Brian Levine, a professor at the U of T said, With aging and early dementia, one of the first things people notice is difficulty retrieving the details of events. Those who have very detailed memories may be susceptible to more memory loss as they age. Another bonus for us with poorer memories!
It’s not uncommon to hear people wishing that they had a better memory. If only I weren’t so forgetful , they complain. If only I could reliably remember my computer password, and that my neighbour’s name is Sarah, not Sandra. If this sounds familiar then I know how you feel.
When asked whether I had a good weekend, I often struggle to immediately recollect enough details to provide an answer. Our memory flaws, frustrating and inconvenient though they can be, are among our most important characteristics. Human memory isn’t like a recording device for accurately capturing and preserving the moment, or a computer hard disk for storing the past in bulk.
Instead, human memory serves up only the gist of an event, often with a healthy side of ego-flattery, heaps of indulgent wrong-righting, and a painkiller for the next morning. Findings such as these illustrate how misremembering can be self-serving, supporting our well-being by pushing us to feel good about ourselves. In other cases, misremembering can help to protect our belief in fairness and justice.
Some people court forgetfulness. Many people like to quote the old adage that “ignorance is bliss’ when we talk about memory and forgetting; from this they think it follows, as night follows day, that ignorance is to be preferred to knowledge when such knowledge weakens happiness. If forgetfulness serves the goal of bliss, who wouldn’t pursue it? Yet our relationship to our memories, and their accuracy is a complicated one!
Friedrich Nietzsche, a famous philosopher from the late 1800’s, stated that there are three reasons why forgetfulness is essential to action. First, without forgetfulness, we would have at the forefront of our minds that we will fail to believe in ourselves and make activity seem pointless. Next, forgetfulness is the opposition to and the cure for an excess of historical knowledge, which is paralysing. Nietzsche’s cure for this is not to think of ourselves as latecomers to the historical scene. Finally, forgetfulness is essential to action because otherwise we are immobilized by the thought of the consequences.
How many of us, either leaving home or coming home, have driven right past our usual exit or laneway to the house? Frequently, I have driven by my house while daydreaming with my mind elsewhere. All of a sudden, I realize that something went wrong. However, I don’t worry about it – it’s a sure sign of becoming smarter.
Senior moments aren’t just for seniors. Experts say those little mental glitches affect everyone, at all ages. I am a senior but I can’t recall if my memory is getting worse with age or was I always enriched with a bad memory!
