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Judi Lynn

(162,491 posts)
Tue Nov 12, 2024, 04:39 AM Nov 12

Forgetting may provide a surprising evolutionary benefit, experts say

By Sven Vanneste, Elva Arulchelvan
published 2 days ago

If you didn't forget things, you'd be in for a world of trouble.


Forgetting is part of our daily lives. You may walk into a room only to forget why you went in there — or perhaps someone says hi on the street and you can't remember their name.

But why do we forget things? Is it simply a sign of memory impairment, or are there benefits?

One of the earliest findings in this area highlighted that forgetting can occur simply because the average person's memories fade away. This comes from 19th century German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, whose "forgetting curve" showed how most people forget the details of new information quite rapidly, but this tapers off over time. More recently, this has been replicated by neuroscientists.

Forgetting can also serve functional purposes, however. Our brains are bombarded with information constantly. If we were to remember every detail, it would become increasingly difficult to retain the important information.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/health/memory/forgetting-may-provide-a-surprising-evolutionary-benefit-experts-say

8 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Forgetting may provide a surprising evolutionary benefit, experts say (Original Post) Judi Lynn Nov 12 OP
Just woke up from a dream about a kid I use to know 60 years ago. multigraincracker Nov 12 #1
What does the kid NJCher Nov 12 #2
I had a shrink years ago that would interpret my dreams. multigraincracker Nov 12 #3
This message was self-deleted by its author Chin music Nov 12 #6
Interesting article nuxvomica Nov 12 #4
I guess Im gonna live a long time. 3Hotdogs Nov 12 #5
I have long told people that I don't store irrelevant information dickthegrouch Nov 12 #7
I find a bad memory helps me in my relationships with others. summer_in_TX Nov 13 #8

multigraincracker

(34,203 posts)
1. Just woke up from a dream about a kid I use to know 60 years ago.
Tue Nov 12, 2024, 05:00 AM
Nov 12

I was just thinking, why in the world did remember him.

NJCher

(38,088 posts)
2. What does the kid
Tue Nov 12, 2024, 06:02 AM
Nov 12

Symbolize to you? What is the one thing about him that if you took everything else away, remains?

multigraincracker

(34,203 posts)
3. I had a shrink years ago that would interpret my dreams.
Tue Nov 12, 2024, 06:09 AM
Nov 12

Bring up symbolism of different aspects of my dream. Then he would always say “but it’s just a dream”.

Response to multigraincracker (Reply #1)

nuxvomica

(12,934 posts)
4. Interesting article
Tue Nov 12, 2024, 06:39 AM
Nov 12

I am reminded of the great Jorge Luis Borges story, "Funes the Memorious", about a man who remembered everything, even the contour of the ocean waves on a specific evening years before. For him, it was a form of suffering, which memory can be, which is why I think history had to be invented so that we could learn the lessons of the past, including the ones we'd rather forget.

dickthegrouch

(3,569 posts)
7. I have long told people that I don't store irrelevant information
Tue Nov 12, 2024, 09:55 AM
Nov 12

I exhibit a kind of incredulity that some people around me remember things I consider worse than useless. And I have an apparently unusual ability to remember vast amounts of technical data and languages. Maybe because my mental memory flushing is so efficient at clearing out the useless information.
I also experience being able to access information I haven’t otherwise thought of in decades especially around languages. For instance, while speaking French with someone recently I came up with several words I have had no reason to use since high school (50+ years ago).
Muscle memory is another method for learning and enables musicians and others to remember astonishing amounts of information to be able to perform without music.

summer_in_TX

(3,262 posts)
8. I find a bad memory helps me in my relationships with others.
Wed Nov 13, 2024, 01:12 AM
Nov 13

I don't remember why I'm angry at someone so I don't carry grudges as a rule. My sister with the good memory does carry grudges.

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