What is it called when you remember forever where/whatever you were doing when you first heard of a world-changing event?
May 24, 2010 10:00 PM Subscribe
What's the term for a never-to-be-forgotten memory of an important event (e.g., when the space shuttle Challenger exploded), when you remember when/where/what you were doing when you heard of the event?
Someone told me it's known as a "JFK moment", but googling for that seems to turn up discussions where the "JFK moment" is something else, more related to some political topic. (Or do I have that wrong?) I feel stupid, but I can't seem to figure out what it's commonly called. I'd also be interested in learning any technical names for this that might be used in psychology.
Someone told me it's known as a "JFK moment", but googling for that seems to turn up discussions where the "JFK moment" is something else, more related to some political topic. (Or do I have that wrong?) I feel stupid, but I can't seem to figure out what it's commonly called. I'd also be interested in learning any technical names for this that might be used in psychology.
"Cultural touchstone" is what immediately popped into my head.
posted by Kemayo at 10:19 PM on May 24, 2010
posted by Kemayo at 10:19 PM on May 24, 2010
A "watershed moment"?
posted by FlamingBore at 11:08 PM on May 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by FlamingBore at 11:08 PM on May 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
Before reading the "more inside" I was going to say "JFK moment." That's the prime example, the only one I've ever heard referenced, and if you said "JFK moment" I would know exactly what you were talking about.
I was born 10 years after that moment, btw, so this comes entirely from cultural shorthand rather than personal experience.
posted by bjrubble at 12:13 AM on May 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
I was born 10 years after that moment, btw, so this comes entirely from cultural shorthand rather than personal experience.
posted by bjrubble at 12:13 AM on May 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Not that this answers your question, but I remember from cognitive psychology class that these moments are myths. i.e. people think they remember what they were doing when the event happened, but actually, their memory of that time isn't substantially better about their whereabouts, etc.
posted by bardophile at 2:59 AM on May 25, 2010
posted by bardophile at 2:59 AM on May 25, 2010
I don't know, but I bet the Germans have an awesome word for it.
posted by QuarterlyProphet at 5:32 AM on May 25, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by QuarterlyProphet at 5:32 AM on May 25, 2010 [4 favorites]
these moments are myths.
Then my memory of watching the the Challenger disaster as it happened, on the little tv at the day care where I worked, hearing the news about both Elvis and Princess Diana on my car radio, and the school nurse coming across the hall to my classroom to ask me to come listen to what she was hearing on her little radio on September 11, 2001, are all figments of my imagination? Don't think so.
posted by tamitang at 5:57 AM on May 25, 2010 [4 favorites]
Then my memory of watching the the Challenger disaster as it happened, on the little tv at the day care where I worked, hearing the news about both Elvis and Princess Diana on my car radio, and the school nurse coming across the hall to my classroom to ask me to come listen to what she was hearing on her little radio on September 11, 2001, are all figments of my imagination? Don't think so.
posted by tamitang at 5:57 AM on May 25, 2010 [4 favorites]
I don't know if it's the term for this sort of thing, but these moments are certainly defining moments.
posted by oddman at 7:18 AM on May 25, 2010
posted by oddman at 7:18 AM on May 25, 2010
"Sticky brain."
Or, as the Germans say, "Klebeverstand." :)
posted by webhund at 7:45 AM on May 25, 2010
Or, as the Germans say, "Klebeverstand." :)
posted by webhund at 7:45 AM on May 25, 2010
When bardophile referred to flashbulb memories as myths, I think s/he meant that these memories are far less accurate than we believe and often are at least partially made up, much like childhood "memories" based on stories your family told you. One example we talked about in psych class was how people, interviewed hours after a major tragedy, described sitting in silent shock. Years later, when recalling the memories, they were likely to edit their behavior to screaming in anguish.
posted by estlin at 7:48 AM on May 25, 2010
posted by estlin at 7:48 AM on May 25, 2010
My parents remembered their "Pearl Harbor moments." My "JFK moment" is clear in my memory, as well. No media influence in these.
posted by Carol Anne at 7:57 AM on May 25, 2010
posted by Carol Anne at 7:57 AM on May 25, 2010
Then my memory of watching the the Challenger disaster as it happened, on the little tv at the day care where I worked, hearing the news about both Elvis and Princess Diana on my car radio, and the school nurse coming across the hall to my classroom to ask me to come listen to what she was hearing on her little radio on September 11, 2001, are all figments of my imagination? Don't think so.
Not to derail, but you should read the study doublehappy mentioned about people's memories of the Challenger disaster, and you will start to wonder! People constructed new memories of where they were and how they heard that continued to seem true to them even after they were presented with same-day accounts they had written--in their own handwriting--that differed from their memory.
"JFK moment" sounds right to me; it seems to me that I remember (ha!) people describing 9/11 as "this generations JFK moment, that one defining moment that for the rest of their lives, everyone will remember where they were when they heard about it."
posted by not that girl at 8:08 AM on May 25, 2010
Not to derail, but you should read the study doublehappy mentioned about people's memories of the Challenger disaster, and you will start to wonder! People constructed new memories of where they were and how they heard that continued to seem true to them even after they were presented with same-day accounts they had written--in their own handwriting--that differed from their memory.
"JFK moment" sounds right to me; it seems to me that I remember (ha!) people describing 9/11 as "this generations JFK moment, that one defining moment that for the rest of their lives, everyone will remember where they were when they heard about it."
posted by not that girl at 8:08 AM on May 25, 2010
Response by poster: Everyone, thanks for all your replies! Flashbulb memory appears to be the best term. The Wikipedia entry even mentions the JFK assassination and the Challenger disaster as being examples of flashbulb memories.
@whiskeyspider: dude, you rock. 4 minutes after I post the question, you have the answer!
@doublehappy, @bardophile, @not that girl: you're right that people's memories are not immutable and can be affected by many factors, including even (for eyewitness testimony in court) how someone is asked the question. However, it's not necessarily the case that every memory is corrupted in this way, and the degree of corruption is variable. I think it's reasonable to say that some people's flashbulb memories can be fair recollections of what they experienced. At the same time, we have to keep in mind (as always when dealing with humans) that the memory may not be 100% accurate or 100% unchanged.
@oddman: thanks for "defining moment". However, I kinda hesitate about using that term in this context because a "defining moment" can be many other things, and not quite in the sense as flashbulb memory.
Everyone: thank you, again.
posted by StrawberryPie at 2:06 PM on May 25, 2010
@whiskeyspider: dude, you rock. 4 minutes after I post the question, you have the answer!
@doublehappy, @bardophile, @not that girl: you're right that people's memories are not immutable and can be affected by many factors, including even (for eyewitness testimony in court) how someone is asked the question. However, it's not necessarily the case that every memory is corrupted in this way, and the degree of corruption is variable. I think it's reasonable to say that some people's flashbulb memories can be fair recollections of what they experienced. At the same time, we have to keep in mind (as always when dealing with humans) that the memory may not be 100% accurate or 100% unchanged.
@oddman: thanks for "defining moment". However, I kinda hesitate about using that term in this context because a "defining moment" can be many other things, and not quite in the sense as flashbulb memory.
Everyone: thank you, again.
posted by StrawberryPie at 2:06 PM on May 25, 2010
I don't know, but I bet the Germans have an awesome word for it.
"Schlüsselereignis" or "Einschneidentes Ereignis"?
posted by webhund at 8:17 PM on May 26, 2010
"Schlüsselereignis" or "Einschneidentes Ereignis"?
posted by webhund at 8:17 PM on May 26, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by whiskeyspider at 10:04 PM on May 24, 2010 [9 favorites]