Philosophy on Facebook #5 - Memories of your past, the good and the bad

Alright guys this one i wanted to talk about how i feel our memory works. Obviously your memories are the things you remember. You remember things better in a variety of ways. You hi-light things so you remember them better and when you read something your eyes "pop" to it. You can remember things better in your head by repeating them over and over. Song also helps in memory retention. You can also make a mnemonic. These are just some ways and im sure there are many more ways people remember things. I want to talk about people remembering things and the mood they bring when you remember things. Youre brain remembers things by utilizing instantaneous and working memory, long-term memory, recognition, relearning, and recall. Im not even going to pretend like i know what these mean becuz i dont. Thats what scientists say how it works and since i dont have a phd in brain psychology im going to trust their right lol. Somehow using these things, your memories carry a certain mood with them when you remember them. If you remember your first rollercoaster or any moment where you enjoyed doing something you will feel happy when remembering it. This brings me to the point where people remember more happy memories than sad ones. Your brain just wants to remember happy moments and are more biased to remember them. In the long scheme of things you are definitely going to remember the fun you had with your friends in school than getting a bad grade in a class. This however doesnt apply to everybody as people with depression are an exception. When youre depressed you arent in a happy mood at all and it seems like nothing can make you happy. You then go searching through your mind for something to cheer you up and you can only think of negative things because of your already negative mood.

I have been a witness and i hear other people do this as well but when i day dream i find that my memories of my past seem better and happier than the current situation i am in. I think this is somewhat of a coping mechanisms that we have. It helps use realize that our lives were happier in the past and helps inspire hope within us that the future may be like the world in our memories. It could happen that our memories actually didnt turn out the same way we remember them. I have been told from people that i remember a situation that involved me differently from the way they remembered it and their version seemed to be a little more morbid than mine was. In a way its a reflection on how your life changed from being "happy" to the way it is now. It can also be used as a reference or model for improving the way your life is now to the happy way you felt in the past.

These memories are so important because they let you recollect on the past whether it be happy or sad and see what you have done in your life so far. Your experiences can teach you many things especially if you remember the mistakes you make and the ramifications that came with your past decisions. As many people have said before those who dont learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them.