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Part 5
Two Selves
We have two selves: the experiencing self that lives in the moment, and the remembering self that keeps score and makes choices.
Memory
Two Selves
We have an experiencing self (who lives in the present) and a remembering self (who keeps score).
Experiencing Self
"Does it hurt now?"
- 01Lives in the present.
- 02Feels the moment's pleasure or pain.
- 03Its moments are lost forever.
Remembering Self
"How was it overall?"
- 01The narrator of our lives.
- 02Ignores duration (Duration Neglect).
- 03Remembers only the Peak and the End.
Peak-End Rule
In the cold-hand experiment, subjects preferred the longer trial (B) because it ended with slightly warmer water. The remembering self chose unnecessary pain because the ending was better.
PAIN INTENSITY