A question about memories?

Question

I was was reminded today about several days I spent last winter curled up watching movies with my gf. At the time they seemed like nice moments but nothing special, yet looking back they seem really precious. So, do we not realise how happy we are at the time, or do we falsely elevate events in the past?

Answer 1

Hmm...it may be both.  We tend to take moments and people for granted, too....but I've heard that our brains actually add things to our memories as sort of "space fillers".  Just appreciate what you have when you have it! :)

Answer 2

unless you have visions of grandeur,or mental instability,events remain the same,then and now,what does change is your perception of those events,related to your current emotional state...

Answer 3

Its means you miss those times u moron lolz

Answer 4

sometimes, you don't really realize how special a moment is till it slips past you and you look back and think "wow. that was a great time...". i know how you feel, so now i just try to live in the moment. when you are with someone special, just hanging around, next time try to cherish the moments you spend together. sometimes its the little things that make up the best part of life...

Answer 5

i think we just dont realize how good our time was until we look back.

Answer 6

were u horny, and can someone answer my question, i posted the link

Answer 7

I think it depends on what's going on with us at a particular moment and how that makes the past look by comparison.  Like the way we say: I haven't been this happy since .. or, the last time I had to deal with x,y,z it nearly killed me/I did much better/ I was happier/sadder  etc.   I think we're always benchmarking our lives on some level because we're all about development, experience or progression.  But I don't think that benchmarking means we always skew the past events in our memories - I think we are just noticing different parts of it because those parts are relevant to us now and why we (subconsciously) are benchmarking.  Perhaps you were just comfortable back then - you lacked nothing so nothing seemed 'ohwowamazing!' about it - but now you understand how precious it is to feel so comfortable and loved, so this is what sticks out.  You get me?

Answer 8

i think this is a good question becuase i have wondered the same thing...are we just thinking they were great because we r not actually living them anymore or did we just now realize they WERE that great and didnt appreciate it at the time!!!!    

    

Answer 9

Probably a combo of both. Although I know that when reminiscing about the past people usually tend to forget the bad and focus on the good...

Answer 10

The latter. Nostalgia is very comforting. That's why we look back at our childhood so fondly but in reality it really wasn't that great. Being told what to do 24/7? No thanks!

Answer 11

I think its a  bit of both. We have a tendency to sometimes remember things better than they really were. Thats called "revisionism". At the same time, however, there probably was a very strong element in us that really enjoyed our past and the memories we have are something we seem to really want to hold onto . Probably for good reason. So we wont repeat past mistakes we have made.