I Remember It Well (3.4)

"All are but Stories, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam"
Illustraiton by Edmund Dulac (1882-1953)
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Mlodinow explains that most people remember a few details from a past experience and their mind fills in the rest, unconsciously fabricating information that coincides with their expectations of what they think must have happened.  Eventually, as a result of this process, we are, as Mlodinow puts it,  "remembering the memory, not the event" (66).

Given this tendency, consider the important role narrative plays in shaping the memories we have of past experiences.  The forces that shape the narrative, shape the memory, and what actually happened sometimes disappears into the mists, as it were (it is the job of historians to recover what has been lost).  In short, you could say, that those who tell the best stories, rule.

For this assignment, you should talk to someone with whom you have shared an experience of some importance.  Choose an experience that is sufficiently complex and a partner who sufficiently cooperative that you are likely to produce different accounts of the same event.  Ask your partner (or partners) to help you remember as many details about the experience as possible.  Take mental note of any differences between your memory and theirs--either things you remember differently or details they remembered, but you didn't, and vice versa.

In the comment section at the bottom of this post, report on your experience and reflect on the significance of the differences you encountered.

And consider this:  if you want to have a storehouse of good memories, the quality of the experiences you have may actually matter less in the long run than the stories you start telling about them.