The Architecture of Identity: How the Brain Builds a Self

"Attention is the brain's filtering mechanism; what passes through that filter is what gets encoded. What gets encoded becomes memory. And memory is the raw material of identity. So in the architecture of your identity, attention is the doorway."

"Studies suggest that emotionally charged experiences are prioritized during encoding and tend to be retrieved more readily than neutral ones, a phenomenon researchers call emotional memory enhancement. The emotional salience of a memory can impact how it is encoded, and can also modify the memory upon retrieval."

The concept of "finding yourself" is fundamentally flawed because the self is not lost but actively constructed through cognitive processes. Attention acts as the brain's filtering mechanism, determining what information gets encoded into memory. Memory is not a static record but a dynamic archive that changes based on emotional significance. Emotionally charged experiences are prioritized during encoding and more readily retrieved than neutral ones, a phenomenon called emotional memory enhancement. This means repeated memories, particularly those with emotional weight, become the foundation of identity. Rather than searching externally for a predetermined self, identity emerges from the selective attention paid to experiences and how those experiences are remembered and reactivated over time.

Read at Psychology Today