Ask HN: What do you think of the idea that human memory is bugged?

Re:Ask HN: What do you think of the idea that human memory i... by srikanthsrnvs on Tuesday October 29, 2019 @01:23PM (#21389682)

Perhaps not, but the part of our brain responsible for optimizing contentment would ideally prefer deleting traumatic memories

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Re:Ask HN: What do you think of the idea that human memory i... by gregjor on Thursday October 31, 2019 @02:41AM (#21406238)

I don't think any part of our brain is "responsible for optimizing contentment" or "deleting traumatic memories."

In evolutionary terms, individual organisms are optimized for reproducing and living long enough to give their offspring (more accurately, their genes) a good shot at survival. Richard Dawkins explains that in The Selfish Gene and other books. "Contentment," a human social construct, and classifying a memory as "traumatic" probably have little to do with what evolution has optimized us (or any organism) for. If we reproduce and pass on our genes, then slowly die a miserable and traumatic death, that makes no difference in terms of evolution.

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Re:Ask HN: What do you think of the idea that human memory i... by jelliclesfarm on Tuesday October 29, 2019 @04:18PM (#21391519)

ok. so your mind is made up. thanks for sharing.

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