The Benefits of Embracing Cognitive Conflict in Learning

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This chapter explores the idea that challenging and stressful learning situations can lead to enhanced memory retention. It discusses the myth of intelligence and the importance of making learning difficult for effective learning. The chapter also touches on the concept of nostalgia and memory bias, emphasizing the need to update collective memories based on factual data for personal and national growth.

"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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