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Take a moment to reflect on your childhood
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What's the first thing that comes to mind? Is it a good memory or a bad one
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For instance, when I think back at my childhood, I often remember playing with my cousins, laughing with friends
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and just having a great time. I have lots of positive memories
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Chances are, for most of us, the first thoughts that arise will be good, positive ones
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Want to know why that is? Well, that's because of a cognitive bias called rosy retrosypection
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the name alone, I think you can all deduce what rosy retrospection is all about. The term
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rosy comes from the phrase rose-colored lenses and retrospection means to look back. So essentially
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rosy retrosy retrospection means to look back with rose-colored lenses. It is a cognitive bias that
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causes us to remember past events more favorably than they actually were at the time
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Rosie Retrospection makes us idealize our past and either dumb play or completely ignore the negative aspects or challenges that we experienced
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Here an interesting fact about Rosie Retrospection The further back in time and event occurred the more likely it is to be remembered positively This effect is partly because the emotional intensity of negative experiences diminishes more rapidly than that of positive experiences
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Essentially, as the negative memories fade, the positive ones become more vivid, leaving behind an idealized version of events
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But I'm sure some of you are thinking that, you know, definitely do remember some negative events more vividly. I mean, there ain't no way that some
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of you could forget the abuse you endured, the loss of a loved one, or the heartbreak that
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left you shattered. And you are absolutely right. Rosie retrospection doesn't mean that all
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negative memories simply vanish into thin air. Certain negative experiences, especially those that
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are traumatic or deeply emotional, can remain etched in our memories. These events might not say like ordinary disappointments, such as missing a bus or an argument
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you had with your sister when you were seven years old. Unfortunately some negative memories will influence our thoughts and behaviors for years or even a lifetime People who tend to ruminate or who have certain personality traits or psychological conditions
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such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder might find that their negative
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memories don't diminish overtime. For them, these negative memories might even grow more intense, replaying in their minds
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and continuing to affect their emotional state. Thus, we need to put everything into context, right
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For instance, if you're feeling angry and overwhelmed in your marriage, you're more likely
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to recall the negative events that occurred. Conversely, in moments of contentment, your mind might naturally gravitate towards positive memories
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So when does rosy retrospection tend to occur? Well, if you're going through a major life transition or you're experiencing high levels
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of stress, you're more likely to be a more likely. going to be doing a whole lot of rosy retrospection. You see, rosy retrospection serves as a coping
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mechanism to deal with current dissatisfaction or stress. Essentially, we compare the worst part
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of our present situation with the best part of our past The more challenging or unsatisfying the present the more likely we are to look back on the past with a rosy view I pretty sure you may have heard older persons refer to the past
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as the golden era, completely glossing over any challenges they experienced. The more disdain
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they have for the present, the more likely they'll be to glorify the past. Plus, we all have
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those friends who tend to reinforce rosy retrospection. You know who I'm talking about, right
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Those friends who can sit with us for hours, reminiscing about the past
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they'll remind you of all the fun you had, the carefree moments, the laughter
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while conveniently skipping over any hardships or struggles you might have faced together
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It's as if the past becomes a sort of safe haven, a place where things were simpler and more joyful
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I myself am quite guilty of this. When I moved to Canada, life was initially very challenging for me
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I discuss more about these challenges in this video right here. And I have to admit, I had a whole lot of rosy retrosy retrospection going on
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Well, at least until I realized this, idealizing the past too much can prevent me from fully engaging and improved..
