Your memory may not be as good as you think. We not only rely on our memories to share stories with friends or learn from past experiences, but we also use them for important things, such as building a sense of personal identity. However, the evidence shows that our memories are not as consistent as we want to believe. To make matters worse, we often unknowingly change facts and add false details to our memories and feel guilty.

How are these memories formed, and why do we believe so firmly that they are real? Psychology and neuroscience have answers, but other inconsistencies embedded in this phenomenon remain a mystery.

To understand how memory works, consider the "phone game" (also known as "Chinese Whisper"). In the game, one person whispers to the person next to him quietly, and then passes it to the next person in the line, and so on. Every time a message is forwarded, some parts may be misunderstood or misunderstood, and other parts may be unintentionally changed, improved, or forgotten. Over time, the message may be very different from the original message.

According to a Northwestern University study, when we remember something, what we actually remember is the memory of our last recall, not the actual event. Every time we remember something, our thoughts, perceptions, and emotions affect and change the memory. Every time we recall events in the past, there are countless reasons why small errors or modifications may occur, from what we think is true or hope to be true, to what others tell us about past events, or we want that person how to think. Whenever these defects occur, they will have a long-term effect on how we recall that memory in the future. So that every time we recall something, the subtle changes in the memory will eventually snowball into a completely false memory. When it develops in our own minds, we will firmly believe that it is true. Memories are stored with the formation of specific proteins in the brain, and these proteins can be re-formed or modified every time a memory is recalled.

Let's look at 4 ways in which memory can be biased.

01. Humor.

If something makes us feel interesting, it is more likely to remain in our memory. The reason is not clear, although some people think it is because humor is an emotional response, and emotions are easier to recall. Or it may be that our brains process humor longer, thus giving the event more time as a memory.

02. Smoothing and sharpening.

Over time, our brains often forget certain details of specific memories. Sometimes our brain will sharpen the remaining details, making them more important than the original part of the memory.

03. Positivity.

Older people are better able to remember positive memories than negative ones. Don't know why this happens.

04. Spacing effect.

If people are exposed to information frequently over a period of time, they will remember the information more easily and accurately.

05. Recall the bumps.

This kind of prejudice makes it easier for you to recall personal events that occurred during adolescence and youth than at other times.

All our memories are filtered through our own personal filters and prejudices, which is why several people can observe the same event and have different views on what happened. From another perspective, our memories are the stories we remember about ourselves, which contain some truths, but also details based on us and the general truths of our lives.

In fact, people are usually very reluctant to invest time and energy to check the accuracy of their memories. However, whether you really notice any small or large changes, your precious memories are unlikely to be 100% accurate. After all, remembering is an act of telling a story. Our memories are only as reliable as the latest stories we tell ourselves.