Learn to Think in Color

How does Institutional Memory act as a constraint on current Meaning-making? Why yesterday’s stories quietly limit tomorrow’s interpretations Big-picture framing Institutional memory is the shared store of stories, norms, and “how we do things here” that lives in an organization’s people, processes, and artifacts. It doesn’t just preserve the past; it shapes how people interpret the present. That means institutional memory can quietly constrain current meaning-making by narrowing which questions feel askable, which data seems credible, and which options feel “realistic.” In this piece, we’ll unpack how institutional memory guides sensemaking, when it becomes a trap, why the “five monkeys and a ladder” parable keeps getting retold, and how to work with memory deliberately rather than unconsciously. Institutional Memory as an Invisible Operating System Think of  institutional memory  as the operating system running in the background of a team or organization. You don’t see it di...

What Do We Most Remember About Any Given Day? Hint: It’s Not the Whole Day—It’s the Peaks and the End What shapes our memory of a day isn’t the clock—it’s the emotional curve.  Researchers and psychologists alike agree: what we remember most from any given day isn’t a sum of all its parts. Instead, we recall standout moments—the emotional highs or lows—and how the day wrapped up. Understanding this pattern helps us craft more meaningful experiences, both personally and professionally. If you’re trying to make an impression, end strong and aim for moments that stir emotion or reflection. The main keyword here is  what we remember about a day , and it plays a central role in both our personal fulfillment and professional impact. The Peak-End Rule: Your Brain’s Shortcut to Memory The “Peak-End Rule,” coined by psychologist Daniel Kahneman, explains how our memories of experiences are shaped less by duration and more by two key moments: The peak  (the most intense emotional m...

How Long Does It Take to Forget a Tragedy? Why “moving on” isn’t the same as healing   Framing the Question We often hear people ask, “Shouldn’t you be over that by now?” when talking about grief or trauma. But forgetting a tragedy isn’t a linear process—it’s a layered, deeply personal journey that defies society’s neat timelines. If you’ve ever wondered  how long it takes to forget a tragedy , the answer reveals something profound about human resilience and the nature of healing itself. This question taps into the psychology of memory, emotional recovery, and our cultural impatience with pain. The Dangerous Myth of Grief Timelines Society craves predictability, especially around suffering. We create artificial deadlines: “You should feel better in six months,” or “The second year is easier.” These well-meaning platitudes reflect our collective discomfort with prolonged pain, but they ignore how emotional processing actually works. Grief symptoms often lessen after 6-12 months...

How Can a Question Influence the Way We Perceive Time and Memory? The Time-Bending Power of the Right Prompt   Framing the Question How we ask questions can quite literally shape how we remember the past and anticipate the future. This isn’t just philosophy—it’s psychology, neuroscience, and language in action. Our perception of time and memory is surprisingly malleable, and questions are one of the tools that stretch or compress it. This post explores how the wording, tone, and intention behind a question can change what we remember, how we feel about it, and even how long ago it feels. Keyword: perception of time and memory Variation phrases : how questions shape memory, influence of questions on time, cognitive framing  How Questions Shape Our Sense of Time Have you ever noticed that when someone asks,  “What did you learn this year?”  it feels vastly different from  “What regrets do you have from this year?”  Even if the time frame is the same—365 days—...

Why do we feel déjà vu, and what causes it? March 9, 2025 | Curiosity, Neuroscience, Perception, Philosophy and Big Questions, Psychology, Question a Day Question a Day   Déjà Vu: The Brain’s Biggest Glitch or a Glimpse into the Matrix? The eerie feeling that you've already experienced a moment before— déjà vu —is one of the strangest and most mysterious phenomena of the human mind. It can happen anywhere: during a conversation, while visiting a new place, or even when hearing a familiar song. But why do we feel déjà vu, and what actually causes it? Let’s dive into the science, theories, and psychology behind this perplexing experience. What Is Déjà Vu? The term  déjà vu  is French for  “already seen”  and describes the unsettling sense that a new experience is strangely familiar—even though you know it shouldn’t be. 🔹  Common characteristics of déjà vu: ✔ Happens suddenly and lasts only a few seconds. ✔ Feels oddly real but cannot be consciously recalled ...