Honestly, I keep seeing people say their first memory is from age 4 or 5, but mine is from 2.5. Does that change how we see ourselves?

4 comments

4 Comments

Does it really matter when the memory starts? I had a super early one too (like right before I turned three) and I don't feel any more "formed" than my friends. It's probably just random brain wiring.

cole_baker20d ago

My grandma's house always smelled like coffee and mothballs. I have this clear memory of sitting on her linoleum floor at maybe two and a half, stacking these red plastic cups she kept under the sink. I don't remember "me" being there, just the feeling of the cool floor and the cups clicking together. So maybe an early memory is less about self-awareness and more about your brain holding onto a strong sensory snapshot, like a photo with no context. It doesn't feel like the start of my story, just a random picture from before the story really began.

the_wesley20d ago

Wait, do you think having an earlier memory means you started forming your sense of self sooner?

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uma_williams20d ago

Honestly, that's a wild way to think about it.