The Psychology of Memory

In the fields of American history and American studies, there is a concept called a "usable past.” (The term was coined by literary critic and historian Van Wyck Brooks in the early 20^th century.) The basic idea is that for a society to thrive and prosper, it should create a meaningful narrative out of its history.

Such a story, or set of stories, is designed to help citizens understand what their society is about and how it differs from others. Having a usable past is especially important in times of struggle; during the Great Depression, for example, American history was widely celebrated to remind citizens of its achievements and that the country had endured previous difficult times.

Constructing a usable past can be just as valuable for individuals. If we are to thrive and prosper, we should create a meaningful narrative out of our own history. Knowing our personal story can tell us what we’re about and how we’re unique from everyone else. And just as having a usable past can help a society get through tough times by reminding us of what we’ve accomplished and that we’ve made it through earlier challenging periods in our lives, remembering who we are as individuals can serve us well in moments of self-doubt and during those times when we’ve somehow lost our way.

A usable past is, of course, based in memory. Memory is, I and others believe, the primary element of identity. Our personalities are heavily shaped by our past experiences. The present is fleeting, and the future has not yet occurred, making the past the central component of who we are as individuals. We’re essentially walking and talking repositories of memories, drawing upon our recollection of past experiences to make decisions in the present and to plan for the future.

Importantly, the creation of a usable past, whether on a society-wide or individual level, does not have to rely exclusively on truths or facts. American history, notably, is largely constructed out of myths, and we don’t dismiss those just because they’re imagined. In fact, some of the most valuable parts of the usable past of the United States are completely made up. The American Dream, for example, is simply “a vision of a better, deeper, richer life for every individual,” according to the person who thought it up (James Truslow Adams, in 1931), but many believe it to be entirely real and view it as a cornerstone of our national identity.

In their new book, The Psychology of Memory, Meghan Sumeracki and Althea Need Kaminske explain that memory is not just a cognitive data bank but rather a resource that humans actively use in order to guide their lives. Memory is “the use of the past, our experiences and information, in service of the present and future,” they write, making it clear that memory is functional. Memory, it should also be said, works as a survival mechanism, allowing us to distinguish between friend and foe based on past experiences.

Given all this, how can we use the psychology of memory to create our own usable pasts? First, it’s essential that we create a compelling narrative that defines who we are and how we stand apart from others. We can look back on our many and varied experiences and from those extract a single, central thread that represents the essence of our identity as an individual.

From this perspective, one’s usable past is like a psychological fingerprint, with nobody else’s exactly like our own. We should ask ourselves, what is our elevator pitch—a clear and concise summary of our distinctive selves that speaks to our mission and purpose in life. It's a good idea to revisit our respective raison d’etre or “brand” every now and then, and it’s perfectly fine to tweak it as we evolve with age.

Last, we should take the opportunity to use this usable past as a kind of North Star by which to chart our journey and navigate whatever lays ahead. It is a vehicle for staying true to our core selves and following our own path in spite of all the obstacles, major and minor, that continually come our way. Through a usable past, we gain a perspective well beyond the particulars of the day, with this long view instrumental in knowing which direction to go.