Charan Ranganath

And so Danny Kahneman, the Nobel Prize winning psychologist, referred to this idea that we have an experiencing self that lives through all of these things that we do. But the remembering self only has access to a tiny bit of that information. And that's the basis on which we decide, am I happy right now? What do I want to do in the future? Right. Where am I? And so forth.

And so Danny Kahneman, the Nobel Prize winning psychologist, referred to this idea that we have an experiencing self that lives through all of these things that we do. But the remembering self only has access to a tiny bit of that information. And that's the basis on which we decide, am I happy right now? What do I want to do in the future? Right. Where am I? And so forth.

We're really in the situation where we make most of our decisions based on the remembering self. And it's almost as if they're two different people because of the fact that the experiencing self is in the present and the remembering self is in the past. It's like if you're a fan of that show Severance, it's a bit like that.

We're really in the situation where we make most of our decisions based on the remembering self. And it's almost as if they're two different people because of the fact that the experiencing self is in the present and the remembering self is in the past. It's like if you're a fan of that show Severance, it's a bit like that.

We're really in the situation where we make most of our decisions based on the remembering self. And it's almost as if they're two different people because of the fact that the experiencing self is in the present and the remembering self is in the past. It's like if you're a fan of that show Severance, it's a bit like that.

Yeah, yeah, it's a great question. And Kahneman felt like it was, in fact, quite irrational that we don't have this capability to access the experiencing self. And to me, it's actually quite the opposite. If you talk to people who have what's called highly superior autobiographical memory, these are people who have just this incredible database of information that they've experienced.

Yeah, yeah, it's a great question. And Kahneman felt like it was, in fact, quite irrational that we don't have this capability to access the experiencing self. And to me, it's actually quite the opposite. If you talk to people who have what's called highly superior autobiographical memory, these are people who have just this incredible database of information that they've experienced.

Yeah, yeah, it's a great question. And Kahneman felt like it was, in fact, quite irrational that we don't have this capability to access the experiencing self. And to me, it's actually quite the opposite. If you talk to people who have what's called highly superior autobiographical memory, these are people who have just this incredible database of information that they've experienced.

They could tell you on a particular date seven years ago exactly what they had for breakfast, what the weather was, who won the sports matches that day. Unbelievable. And if you read descriptions, many of these people talk about it as torture. They say it's something that they wouldn't wish on their worst enemy. I mean, they are often plagued by memories. At best, it's irrelevant stuff.

They could tell you on a particular date seven years ago exactly what they had for breakfast, what the weather was, who won the sports matches that day. Unbelievable. And if you read descriptions, many of these people talk about it as torture. They say it's something that they wouldn't wish on their worst enemy. I mean, they are often plagued by memories. At best, it's irrelevant stuff.

They could tell you on a particular date seven years ago exactly what they had for breakfast, what the weather was, who won the sports matches that day. Unbelievable. And if you read descriptions, many of these people talk about it as torture. They say it's something that they wouldn't wish on their worst enemy. I mean, they are often plagued by memories. At best, it's irrelevant stuff.

And at worst, it's the stuff that is minor and negative, but it just comes back to them over and over again. So one way I like to think about it is that we're blessed with this incomplete memory because what we remember tends to be what we need. So just as an analogy, imagine you are taking a trip, right, since we're in vacation mode. Imagine you are taking a trip. You'll pack your suitcase.

And at worst, it's the stuff that is minor and negative, but it just comes back to them over and over again. So one way I like to think about it is that we're blessed with this incomplete memory because what we remember tends to be what we need. So just as an analogy, imagine you are taking a trip, right, since we're in vacation mode. Imagine you are taking a trip. You'll pack your suitcase.

And at worst, it's the stuff that is minor and negative, but it just comes back to them over and over again. So one way I like to think about it is that we're blessed with this incomplete memory because what we remember tends to be what we need. So just as an analogy, imagine you are taking a trip, right, since we're in vacation mode. Imagine you are taking a trip. You'll pack your suitcase.

Now, will you pack everything you own? Probably not. Probably not. Okay, good. So I don't know, maybe you're a minimalist, but most of us would not, right? So when you're making a decision about what to pack, what are you thinking of? How do you choose?

Now, will you pack everything you own? Probably not. Probably not. Okay, good. So I don't know, maybe you're a minimalist, but most of us would not, right? So when you're making a decision about what to pack, what are you thinking of? How do you choose?

Now, will you pack everything you own? Probably not. Probably not. Okay, good. So I don't know, maybe you're a minimalist, but most of us would not, right? So when you're making a decision about what to pack, what are you thinking of? How do you choose?

Exactly. So you're going to work out what you think you'll need on this trip, right? And you'll carry with you only the stuff that you think you'll need. Sometimes you'll carry stuff that turns out you don't use. Sometimes you'll pack some things and it turns out that you're missing something, right? And you forgot this jacket that you desperately need.

Exactly. So you're going to work out what you think you'll need on this trip, right? And you'll carry with you only the stuff that you think you'll need. Sometimes you'll carry stuff that turns out you don't use. Sometimes you'll pack some things and it turns out that you're missing something, right? And you forgot this jacket that you desperately need.

Exactly. So you're going to work out what you think you'll need on this trip, right? And you'll carry with you only the stuff that you think you'll need. Sometimes you'll carry stuff that turns out you don't use. Sometimes you'll pack some things and it turns out that you're missing something, right? And you forgot this jacket that you desperately need.