Is forgetting a bug of the brain … or a feature?

Starting to feel forgetful? Next time you’re bummed out for forgetting why you walked into a room, remember that this is just natural of our memory. 

“As we get older our memory, and how we use our memory, really changes,” says Alan Castel of the UCLA Memory & Lifespan Cognition Lab. “I think what’s important as we get older is this idea of metacognition or meta memory and just being aware of how our memory works—noticing that we don’t remember things and we may need to write it down.”

All these are just natural signs of how our memory works. 

Rather than dwelling on the small things you can’t remember, Castel outlines why we should focus on building a memory that remembers the valuable information, not one that attempts to remember all the information.

Recognizing how your brain and memory work actually makes you wiser. 

So next time you feel the old memory bug, remember this is your brain's natural evolution toward efficiency—and don't forget the notepad.

• • •

Join us for members-only access to Dr. Alan Castel and to many more of UCLA’s #1-ranked faculty ► westward.ucla.edu