Decades of research has shown that without forgetting, we would have no memory at all. If we remembered everything, we would be completely inefficient because our brains would always be swamped with redundant memories. The brain acts as an encoding device, which is why we can recall even the most mundane events of our day, but then forget them in the following days or weeks. The reason for that is because the brain doesn’t immediately know what’s important and what’s not, so it tries to remember as much as possible at first, but gradually forgets most things. Forgetting serves as a filter to weed out the stuff the brain deems is not important. Initially, information is stored in the hippocampus. Over time, this information is transferred to the neocortex for long-term storage. Consolidation of information is highly active during sleep, when the brain replays the events of your day and either passes them on for storage or filters them out, causing you not to remember them. So, the next time you think you’re getting old because you can’t remember minor details, just remember that your brain is working overtime to make sure you’re not overloaded with mundane data.
