Generally bad memories stay longer in our minds because we are sad, confuse, angry, remorseful, indifferent, unforgiving etc. In my opinion, it stays longer because others like close family and friends always reminds us of this negative happenings in our life. However, you can do something to forget it or use it as a positive note to your talk to friends and group members. Bad happenings are always a learning lesson to everyone. Good Happenings are always forgotten except for those things that excited us or made us very happy like first date, kiss, first salary, first baby, etc. If bad memories keeps on coming back pray hard and ask God to erase if from your mind.

Good memories are defenitely kept in your brain! However, bad experiences seem to be more accessable in your memory. Your brain is a very effeciently space saving device that archives memories that are a:not used a lot, b: were not moments where you were very present (aware or consiouss of) c: were not associated with a lot of emotions. One of the reasons is that when a memory is associated with emotions it is stored in a greater part of your neuronetwork in your brain. The more impact the experience had on you, the easier it is to access from your memory bank. To illustrate that ask yourself the following questions: 1: Where were you exactly (day + time) 3 months ago and what were you doing exactly? Don't try and look it up. Use just your memory. When you have the answer to the above question (you probably don't remember), you are ready for the next one (but not sooner). 2: Where were you and what exactly were you doing when you heard about the 9/11 attacks? You probably know exactly what you were doing, with who, where etc. This proves that the more emotions associated with an experience, the more accessible the memory of that experience is. This also explains why expierences from early childhood have such an important role: Small children are emotional jo-jo's. They lack the ability to control their emotions and every emotions that they display is huge: When they are angry, the world will know, when the are hurt, the universe has to be informed about that, when they are happy, you can see it from miles away. As your childhood experiences are stored in your memory with extra-added-emotional-weight they are stored in your sub-consiouness and it is there that our daily behaviour and view upon our place in society and our view on society as a whole (all together: your personality) is determined for a great deal.

Bad memories seem more important in our minds than good because you learn from mistakes which generally causes bad memories. For example if you once touched your hand to a hot stove, it would be a bad memory and help remind you to not do it again. So in a sense, some bad memories are helpful. (Which kind of makes them good.)

It's easier to remember the pain then the happiness. it even has more of an effect. Thats not to say you dont remember the good ones. You would never forget the first time you held you baby.

Personally my bad memories fade fast, and my good memories stay foerever. It is possible because of how my parents treated "bad" Dad always said "Well we've had the bad, now we need something real good for balance." The day after John Kennedy was shot, we went on vacation Virginia, and while the rest of the world was glued to the TV, we were picnicking and hiking along the Blue Ridge parkway. One of our best vacations ever!