The Power of Memories and Self-Perception

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The chapter delves into how memories shape our self-perception, behavior, and identity, emphasizing the importance of selective memory and subjective recollection. It explores the influence of gratitude practice on memory and discusses the impact of sharing shameful memories with trusted individuals for reframing and modifying their narratives.

"The only things that are important in life," declared the French filmmaker Jean Renoir, "are the things you remember." But what do we remember and why? That's the subject of a new book, "Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to What Matters," by pioneering neuroscientist Charan Ranganath. He joins us today to explain why you still know the lyrics to the song you loved in eighth grade but can't remember the name of your kid's eighth-grade teacher, how memory shapes your identity, and what you can do right now to improve your recall.

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