Psychiatrist explains why painful memories outlast happy ones
A psychiatrist explained why negative events remain in memory longer than positive ones (photo: Getty Images)
Why do people remember insults and betrayals for years, while joyful events are quickly forgotten? Experts explain that this is not a character trait but a defense mechanism of the psyche. Ukrainian psychiatrist and Doctor of Medical Sciences Borys Mykhailov explained why negative or traumatic moments stay in memory longer.
Negative events have a stronger emotional impact
Mykhailov advises rereading Dante Alighieri’s "Divine Comedy" and focusing on your feelings of the description of the nine circles of hell.
According to him, the description of hell is so captivating and striking that it is hard to tear yourself away. The description of paradise pales in comparison, and most readers don't dwell on it because, emotionally, there is nothing to hold on to.
"When there is a car crash on the road, for example, the memory of it stays with a person for a long time. That is, the human psyche fixes on the most emotionally striking and irritating moments," the psychiatrist noted.
That is, according to the doctor, those facts and events that are accompanied by a high level of emotional impact are "copied" from short-term memory into long-term memory.
"Positive moments are also stored in memory, of course, but only those that have a very high level of emotional impact as well. For example, another wedding anniversary, even in a happy couple, does not evoke the same emotions as the wedding itself," the psychiatrist pointed out.
Memory of the negative is a defense mechanism
Borys Mykhailov also explained why, after a relationship ends, memories of happy moments are often "erased," while recollections of a partner's bad actions can remain forever.
"This is due to a biologically determined mechanism, namely a preventive mechanism against the possible negative development of events in the future," the doctor explained.
He added that people today are highly socialized, and most negative moments in life are related to social, family, and economic events.
In the past, however, this peculiarity of human memory was connected with threats to life. People remembered where and under what circumstances they were in danger.
"Positive experiences did not help avoid misfortune the next time, unlike negative ones," the psychiatrist noted.
Over time, the memorization of any negative experience transformed into a defense mechanism of the psyche, aimed at avoiding it in the future.
Earlier, we wrote about why people are turning to spiritual practices.
