Memory is a construct of our own making, shaped not just by how we form it but also by how we continue to recall and reinterpret it. Research shows memories are easily altered according to one study, being ‘sensitive to disruption’ before consolidation into long-term memory (Nader, Schafe, and LeDoux). There are many examples of false memories, but I bring this up to reiterate that our own recollections of memories can be very different from others’- even for shared experiences. Ultimately, what we learn (and thus remember) is a fluid construct, just as our perceptions of events are.
Furthermore, according to Benjamin Straube, memory is subject to distortions at every stage- including its encoding, consolidation, and retrieval- creating possibilities for false memories (Straube). While these are scary concepts, these are a part of our reality, and effect all of us. It’s all the more reason to broaden our perspective, and understand that our own recollections can be flawed. In this way, our own perspective is no more perfect than anyone else’s. Maybe that second, or third, opinion may bring us closer to the truth.