<p>There are capacity limitation, especially at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_memory" rel="nofollow">working memory</a>, that makes it impossible and inefficient to process everything we experience in the past. Our brain creates abstractions of things i.e. we do not remember every dog we have seen, but we remember the dog category. We forget unimportant details, but we maintain <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Episodic_memory" rel="nofollow">episodic memory</a> for things that are important or recent.</p>

<p>The dysfunctional aspect of remembering everything can be demonstrated through a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperthymesia" rel="nofollow">Hyperthymesia</a> patient called AJ.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Hyperthymestic abilities can have a detrimental effect on cognitive
  capacity. The constant, irrepressible stream of memories has caused
  significant disruption to AJ's life. She described her recollection as
  "non-stop, uncontrollable and totally exhausting" and as "a burden".</p>
</blockquote>

<p>...</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>At school, AJ was an average student, clearly unable to apply her
  exceptional memory to her studies.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>...</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Deficits in executive functioning and anomalous lateralisation were
  also identified in AJ. These cognitive deficiencies are characteristic
  of frontostriatal disorders.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-07T19:39:54.673Z
Ok, but is the effect of overpressureof data (on the performance of the brain) negligible or not?
Probably
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-16T16:31:40.373Z
I mean, right, we delete old memories but where do the new come to if we decide to still repeat the old ones?
Probably
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-07T16:00:24.763Z
2016-03-07T16:00:24.763Z
DesignerAnalyst
<p>Does it affect brain negatively if I remember unimportant things? In other words: Is the capacity of the brain (or just too much chaotic data densed together) sometimes a significant factor for an individual's inteligence? Is something practically not worth remembering? </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-16T08:21:17.057Z
I found a very similiar question on Biology now: http://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/19626/what-happens-once-a-brain-is-full
Probably
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-15T21:45:52.737Z
...and this one: http://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/19614/is-there-any-size-limit-to-the-amount-of-information-a-human-or-other-brain-ca?rq=1
Probably
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-09-18T01:56:05.293Z
Possible duplicate of: [Why is memory selective in storing sometimes irrelevant details and discarding important things?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/10803/7001)
Arnon Weinberg
<memory><brain-training>
Is something not worth remembering?
Probably
# Is something not worth remembering?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-03-07)

Does it affect brain negatively if I remember unimportant things? In other words: Is the capacity of the brain (or just too much chaotic data densed together) sometimes a significant factor for an individual's inteligence? Is something practically not worth remembering?

**Tags:** memory, brain-training

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I found a very similiar question on Biology now: http://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/19626/what-happens-once-a-brain-is-full  
> **username_0**: ...and this one: http://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/19614/is-there-any-size-limit-to-the-amount-of-information-a-human-or-other-brain-ca?rq=1  
> **username_1**: Possible duplicate of: [Why is memory selective in storing sometimes irrelevant details and discarding important things?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/10803/7001)  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-03-07. Score: 1

There are capacity limitation, especially at the [working memory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_memory), that makes it impossible and inefficient to process everything we experience in the past. Our brain creates abstractions of things i.e. we do not remember every dog we have seen, but we remember the dog category. We forget unimportant details, but we maintain [episodic memory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Episodic_memory) for things that are important or recent.

The dysfunctional aspect of remembering everything can be demonstrated through a [Hyperthymesia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperthymesia) patient called AJ.

> Hyperthymestic abilities can have a detrimental effect on cognitive
> capacity. The constant, irrepressible stream of memories has caused
> significant disruption to AJ's life. She described her recollection as
> "non-stop, uncontrollable and totally exhausting" and as "a burden".

...

> At school, AJ was an average student, clearly unable to apply her
> exceptional memory to her studies.

...

> Deficits in executive functioning and anomalous lateralisation were
> also identified in AJ. These cognitive deficiencies are characteristic
> of frontostriatal disorders.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Ok, but is the effect of overpressureof data (on the performance of the brain) negligible or not?  
> **username_0**: I mean, right, we delete old memories but where do the new come to if we decide to still repeat the old ones?  

---

