Why Your Brain Softens Pain Memories

Your brain literally blocks out memories of pain to protect you. That's why you can't

fully remember how bad a breakup felt or how much you cried during your worst moment.

It's called pain asymbolia. Your mind knows you experienced it,

but it dulls the emotional intensity so you don't get traumatized every time you think about

it. This is why we keep making the same mistakes in relationships. You remember the

person was bad for you, but your brain won't let you feel that gut wrenching pain

again, so you convince yourself it wasn't that serious. It's also why childbirth

doesn't stop people from having more kids. If we could truly recall pain the