Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction

[really?]

All believers in the paranormal use anecdotes as compelling evidence; we all know this. It's also known that skeptics do not put much trust in anecdotes, leaving believers scratching their collective heads in disbelief. We even have on this site an editorial on this matter Dismissing Anecdotal Evidence as Invalid http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/anecdotal.php . But what Scepcop ( like so many) doesn't realize is that your memory is far from perfect. So in order to bring this point home I've provided a link to a podcast. The interview is with psychologist David McRaney. If you have time go listen http://www.wypr.org/podcast/you-are-not ... y-8-1-2-pm

[NinjaPuppy]

[NinjaPuppy]

Listening to the podcast now.

The book, "You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself".
Hmmmm, I know my memory is for sh!t. I guess I'll have to listen to find out the other 46 things.

Confabulation? Even the definition confused the crap out of me. Oh, OK, got it.
Now on to the Facebook part:
We can only keep up with about 150 people (total) at any given time? Heck, I can't keep up with 35 and that includes the entire (regular) population of this forum. Family aside (I don't like too many of my family members) I have probably 8 friends and only one 'friend' on a Facebook page that I created because I'm too lazy to resize photographs that she wants to see that are too large for email. Ah, I see that he calls this 'social grooming'. That explains it. I'm great with people, lousy with socialization if I actually have to make an effort.

Now on to the 'memory' part. As I said, I KNOW I have a really bad memory. Always did. I have to take constant written notes and I even double check my notes (verbally repeat what I wrote) when talking to another person.

Hmmmm.... going on to play 'horoscope' now. Jim calling from his car..... he's an Aquarius. I'm hearing a horoscope that can be accurate for every human being on the face of the earth. Jim says 65% is accurate for him and now their talking about the Forer Effect. So it's not a horoscope it's several horoscopes. Hits and misses stuff. Game over. I would have said the same, about 90% but not for me, for everyone.

Inattentional blindness and change blindness???? White and black t-shirts? Is this the gorilla video?

Ignoring contradictory evidence.....That makes sense. Like mindedness....oh yeah, I've seen plenty of that in action.

Seems that I already know this stuff. I must be pretty smart.

[NinjaPuppy]

It IS the gorilla thing! (Still listening)....and still thinking that I have a GREAT memory.

Oh crap! I'm supposed to actually pay attention to things? Who knew?
Being from NJ, I don't see anything. I see absolutely nothing. See how smart I am.

Sharpshooter fallacy? A cowboy shooting a barn??? Then drawing the target over the clusters of shots? That's no fun.

Randomness? I LOVE randomness as long as it has some order to it.

Oh, now they're talking about the Lincoln/Kennedy comparison. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt like 30 years ago. Oh...comparing this to the 'sharpshooter' fallacy. That makes sense. You can find similarities in just about anything if you dig hard enough.

Brand loyalty on the table now. Meh. I know most of it as I've worked in advertising. Time is up.

Thanks for a good listen.