Do you often forget the names of your colleagues? Or do you sometimes go to the store and then forget exactly what you went to the store for?
If that happens frequently, it may make you think that something is wrong.
But don’t worry, it doesn’t mean that something is wrong. In fact, it’s quite the opposite!
Researchers have conducted a new study that shows forgetful people might actually be smarter than their friends with good memory.
The University of Toronto in Canada has demonstrated that intelligence has nothing to do with how well someone can remember things.
Normally, we think that people who can remember everything, from multiplication tables to family members’ birthdays, are smarter. But being forgetful has practical benefits.
Remembering every detail doesn’t make you smart, as CNN also writes.
It’s about keeping focus on what’s important, while the rest around it is less necessary.
That might be easier to understand with an example, like someone who remembers a person’s face but not their name.
It can definitely be embarrassing, but looking at it from another perspective, it can be beneficial.
Imagine you’re a lion on the savannah that needs to keep an eye on the surroundings to survive. Knowing what’s a threat and what’s harmless is more important than remembering everyone’s names in your vicinity.
But the cleverness of your brain doesn’t end there. It also helps sort memories, making room for new important memories when old ones become less important.
Although it’s better to remember every detail while also keeping an eye on the big picture, it’s becoming difficult for more people.
While you can easily look up the answer nowadays, it’s not always an advantage to know the names of all the U.S. presidents, for example.
However, this study doesn’t mean you can forget everything all the time. But if you forget something like milk, remember that your brain is at work!
Do you understand?
Share this article with your forgetful friends on Facebook. Hopefully, they’ll remember to read it and won’t feel dumb if they forget something again!
