Question: What are memories? How do we remember stuff? And why do I always forget important things, but tend to remember non-important things?

Rebecca Dewey answered on 19 Jun 2015:

Memories are information that is stored in your brain, like files on a computer. Your working memory (short term memory) will take in a new piece of information and work out where it fits in your world, or manipulate it in some way to make it useful. Then after a while, the long term memory will file it away for keeping/storage. There are different sorts of memory, such as memory that is based mainly on the senses, or on routines and procedures, memories that use pictures or words or smells, muscle memory when you remember a physical movement such as learning to drive a car or type in a pin number. All of these get filed away in little discrete episodes in your past experience. This much is like a computer. Unfortunately unlike on a computer, your brain is organic and not perfect! You can’t just select which files are most important and keep back-ups or delete the files you don’t need. You have to work at teaching yourself to remember the important things – like getting into a good routine, keeping reminders close by or using mnemonics and tricks to hold certain things in your memory.