The Science of Forgetting: Why We're Already Losing Our Pandemic Memories and the Unthinkable Truths About Consistency

The Science of Forgetting: Why We're Already Losing Our Pandemic Memories and the Unthinkable Truths About Consistency

It seems that forgetting is the default setting of our brains. According to cognitive psychology professor Norman Brown, everyone forgets everything all the time. Our brains have three interconnected phases for memory: encoding, consolidation, and retrieval. When we encounter new information, our brains encode it through changes in neurons in the hippocampus and other areas, such as the amygdala for emotional memories. These changes create a physical memory trace called an engram. However, most of this information is lost unless it goes through memory consolidation, which often occurs during sleep, making memories more stable and long-term.

One theory suggests that the hippocampus acts as an index for memory retrieval, similar to a Google search. During memory retrieval, the neurons in the hippocampus and cortex responsible for the memory trace are reactivated. Our memories are centered around our life stories and the events that have personally affected us the most. However, even for significant emotional and life-threatening events, the more memories we have, the harder it becomes to capture all of them. New memories, which naturally occur as we live our lives, interfere with the memories of older events. New events are more salient and easier to remember because we talk about them and repeatedly remember them.

The uniformity of events also affects our ability to recall them. When events are similar, our memory tends to merge them into one almost indistinguishable event. This may explain why we may have unclear memories from specific years or periods. However, as a society, many people do not want to hold onto their memories of the pandemic. We tend to view the future more positively than the past because the future is open to imagination, while the past is fixed. Remembering the past is subjective, influenced by our current emotions, knowledge, and attitudes. This reality has implications for how we look back on the pandemic and shape our future.

In order for our autobiographical memories to be truly preserved in history, our lives need to be turned upside down by external factors. While parents pass on their knowledge and family history to their offspring, these communicative memories only last for two or three generations. Without cultural artifacts like books, movies, statues, and museums, the memories of the pandemic may be consigned to the entropic dustbin of history.

Now, let's shift our focus to the unthinkable truths about consistency. According to Farnam Street's article, great work often stems from ideas that others have overlooked, and the most overlooked idea is the unthinkable. Making decisions can be challenging because they reduce short-term opportunities, but they are the only things that create great opportunities in the long run.

The most practical skill in life is learning to do things even when we don't feel like doing them. It's easy to do something when it's easy, but most people give up when things get tough. Muhammad Ali's perspective on counting sit-ups reflects this mindset. He only starts counting when it starts hurting because that's when it truly counts. Consistency is key to outperforming intermittent effort. While inconsistency may work for certain things, it is consistency that matters for what truly counts.

To maintain consistency, we need strategies to keep us going when things get hard. One effective strategy is telling ourselves that we can quit tomorrow, but not today. By giving ourselves permission to quit in the future, we can push through the difficult moments and maintain our consistency. Leadership also plays a crucial role in boosting performance and converting potential into exceptional results. Organizations have untapped potential to perform at higher levels, and it is the responsibility of leaders to unleash this potential.

In conclusion, understanding the science of forgetting and recognizing the importance of consistency can provide valuable insights into our memory processes and personal growth. While our brains default to forgetting, we can take steps to preserve important memories by understanding how our memories are formed and retrieved. Similarly, embracing consistency and finding strategies to maintain it can lead to remarkable achievements in various aspects of life. Remember, everyone forgets, but we have the power to shape our memories and create a consistent path towards success.