Sunday, October 12, 2008

fcg's tip for life #26: don't use your favorite ringtone as your alarm clock

it's amazing how the brain associates sounds with memory. i can listen to a song for the first time in three years, and it will bring back memories of the first time i heard it, or a summer when i listened to it often. it can often trigger the olfaction cells to bring back memories of certain smells too.

i get a deep-rooted aversion to whatever ring tone i use for an alarm on my phone. it was over three summers ago, but i still shudder involuntarily if i hear a particular Nokia ring tone; it was the music that so rudely jarred me awake at a quarter to seven to go rouse a bunch of cranky teenagers to set the tables in the camp dining room.

3 comments:

Originally From Brooklyn said...

Conditioning has been around for ages. And this story tell you how it can get even more disturbing than you can imagine.

tembow said...

totally agree!!

Jewish Side of Babysitter said...

good tip!

it's very true how we associate different things with memories that have happened.

I was thinking the reason why not to use your favorite ringtone for an alarm clock was because then you are just going to want to listen to it, so you will stay in bed listening to the nice music instead of actually getting up and out of bed.