Science Says You *Can* Keep Defining Yourself

We are our stories. The brain uses memories of our experiences to literally form who we are, usually in our early 20s. However, a study of the brain showed that we are not stuck with our early 20s definition — with conscious effort we can define ourselves throughout our entire life.

Memories Form Our Identity

According to scientists, our identity is formed when our brain encodes memories and strings them into a story of who we are, usually from experiences in our early 20s.  You may notice that you remember more things from adolescence to early adulthood, anywhere from around 10-30 years old, than you do from other times in your life. Scientists call this universal phenomenon the Reminiscence Bump and have found that the themes that emerge in Reminiscence Bump memories often endure across the life span.

Reminiscence Bump memories remain highly accessible because these memories literally form our identity, and this clustering of memories supports the emergence of a stable and enduring self.  A recent study showed that when people were asked to recall memories associated with a particular aspect of their identity (such as, “I am an athlete” or “I am ambitious”), the memories clustered around the year the people believed the “I am” statement applied to them.

Life Events Shake Our Core Identity

From this it is easy to understand why a life event in our later decades can be particularly shattering if it does not align with the “I am” theme previously formed; the event literally disrupts the core of who we think we are.

For example, job loss or retirement calls into question the identity “I am a teacher.” The loss of a spouse through death or divorce disrupts the identity of “I am a husband/wife”. Kids going to college messes with the identity “I am father/mother”. A bout with cancer doesn’t match up with “I am healthy”.

Keep Defining Yourself

But don’t worry that all is lost with your failing memory and your identity-forming 20s long behind you. Scientists have found that older brains encode self-defining memories the same way that younger brains do. Happily the older brain continues to encode our experiences in the same way that younger brains do.

So with conscious effort, allow your list of “I Ams” to expand and grow.

Learn more – DIY– I Am