Remembering involves reconstruction
Memory is not a video file that plays back unchanged. When you remember an event, stored details are combined with your knowledge and expectations. You might correctly remember a café visit but mistakenly include a menu on the table because that detail fits your usual experience of cafés.
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A memory can feel complete without being exact
People often retain the broad meaning of an event more readily than every individual detail. During remembering, that meaning can help reconstruct a coherent account.
Suppose a familiar café normally places menus on its tables. After one visit, you may remember a menu being present even if you ordered directly at the counter that day. An expected detail can become part of the remembered scene.
Reconstruction does not mean all memories are false. Many are accurate, and accuracy varies across details and circumstances. The important distinction is that confidence and vividness do not independently verify every element. A memory can preserve what happened overall while containing an incorrect detail about how it happened.