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Why we should remember the bad times
They make us complete
Why do we remember some things and forget other things?
Why are our brains so good at remembering trivial things we don’t need to know, but forget other things that we should remember?
For example, I can recall useless trivia, such as who won the 1991 World Series (the Minnesota Twins over the Atlanta Braves in seven games). But then I can routinely walk into a room and forget why I went there in the first place.
A few days ago, I lost the combination lock used to secure my belongings at the gym. That three-number code was seared into my brain. I regularly used that combination code correctly without even thinking.
After buying a new lock, I immediately memorized the new combination with ease. Now, I could not recite those previous three numbers, even if my life depended on it.
Why is that?
I realize there is extensive cognitive research that explains all of this. It still amuses me to ponder these idiosyncrasies with how our brains recall or remove information.
If it is that easy to wipe out the memory of a three-number sequence, why is it so difficult to remove other memories from our brains?
