ELi5 Why we don’t remember our first four years since birth?

Question

ELi5 Why we don’t remember our first four years since birth?

In: 3

Answer 1

We do not remember this time, because the brain and cognition first need to develop enough to even make sense of the input. When a baby is born, they cannot “see” like we do, or understand what they are hearing. They even cannot move their limbs with sufficient coordination. It takes time for the brain to take full control and fine-tune the neuronal commands. Similarly, the cognitive understanding of a very small child is shattered into pieces which do not yet form a complete worldview. It seems that only after a few years, the personality of the baby is well-formed enough to “remember” in a meaningful way.

Memory is more a reconstruction of what must have happened rather than a stored movie. One needs to know a lot to be able to “remember” something, i.e., to reconstruct what must have happened.

Answer 2

We do not remember this time, because the brain and cognition first need to develop enough to even make sense of the input. When a baby is born, they cannot “see” like we do, or understand what they are hearing. They even cannot move their limbs with sufficient coordination. It takes time for the brain to take full control and fine-tune the neuronal commands. Similarly, the cognitive understanding of a very small child is shattered into pieces which do not yet form a complete worldview. It seems that only after a few years, the personality of the baby is well-formed enough to “remember” in a meaningful way.

Memory is more a reconstruction of what must have happened rather than a stored movie. One needs to know a lot to be able to “remember” something, i.e., to reconstruct what must have happened.