Dr. Maya Shankar

Another example is the way that we construct our memories is you wouldn't necessarily intuitively understand that we code our memories in the way that we do.

Another example is the way that we construct our memories is you wouldn't necessarily intuitively understand that we code our memories in the way that we do.

So let me say a little bit more about that.

So let me say a little bit more about that.

So I think at least I, when I was thinking about my memories, think, okay, well, you have an experience and every single moment of that experience carries some weight.

So I think at least I, when I was thinking about my memories, think, okay, well, you have an experience and every single moment of that experience carries some weight.

And at the end, your brain kind of averages all those hedonic experiences and decides how enjoyable or not enjoyable the experience was.

And at the end, your brain kind of averages all those hedonic experiences and decides how enjoyable or not enjoyable the experience was.

Actually, our minds don't work like that.

Actually, our minds don't work like that.

We assign disproportionate weight to the most emotionally intense moment of the experience and the end of the experience.

We assign disproportionate weight to the most emotionally intense moment of the experience and the end of the experience.

This is called the peak-end rule.

This is called the peak-end rule.

And what this means is that when we think back to experiences, that end moment and that peak moment are really important in terms of whether we want to do that experience again and how we think about it after the fact.

And what this means is that when we think back to experiences, that end moment and that peak moment are really important in terms of whether we want to do that experience again and how we think about it after the fact.

This is really relevant in the context of health exams.

This is really relevant in the context of health exams.

Like, for example, colonoscopies are very painful exams.

Like, for example, colonoscopies are very painful exams.