Did you know that an overly good memory can actually be annoying?
When we think of memory, we are immediately struck by the thought that more is better - we think that whoever can remember a larger amount of information must also have a better memory and therefore be smarter. However, this information is clearly pulled by the hair: Indeed, researchers have discovered that forgetting is essential for effective memory. Why?
The main purpose of memory is to, in a broad sense, we make decisions more easily. It is important to be decisive we remember information, but forget unimportant information. In this way, we also get to the information that we need to take into account when making a certain decision more quickly. Even on neurological level we have evidence that forgetting is important for functioning well in the world. In a laboratory they discovered that while we forget, in the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for episodic memory, new neurons grow.
But what exactly is the role of forgetting? Why is it better to forget some information than to remember everything? There are at least two reasons.
1. In today's world, which is so oversaturated with information that sometimes our head hurts, it would be completely pointless and inefficient energetically for our brain to try to remember everything. It is much more effective if they "filter" the information and remember only those that they think can be very useful.
2. Forgetting and remembering act as a kind of contrast. When we forget certain information, those we do remember become even more imprinted in our memory and we recall them more easily and quickly.
