OUR MEMORY

Our memory is the greatest tool we have for learning. Every time we learn something, it’s processed in our brain lots of times. Not only do we store information there, but we also recall it when we need it. However, this great tool does have some flaws. Here are three:

Bias is one of the most common problems with our memory. Bias develops in our brain when we use a piece of information so many times that it becomes a fixed way of our thinking. When new and correct information comes in, it has already become harder for us to get the old and incorrect information out of our brain.

Does this ever happen to you? You see a person and remember their face. You can even remember where you met them and talked to them, but you can’t utter their name. This is when ‘blocking’ happens. The knowledge is in your brain, but you can’t bring it out because you haven’t used it for a long time. It’s not a big problem, but it can sometimes happen at the worst time!

The transience of our memory means that we slowly forget the details of an event. We don’t remember most of what happened a long time ago but only keep the important parts. Some people say that it’s a good thing because it allows us to forget the details of our terrible experiences.