This post is also available in Dutch .
If you speak more than one language, you might recognize this situation: you learn a new word in one language, and suddenly the word in your other language feels just out of reach. It can feel as if your brain is a storage box with limited capacity, and the more you put in, the more something else falls out. But do you need to make space by forgetting something old, to be able to learn something new? According to neuroscience, the answer is no.
Your brain is not a storage box
The idea that the brain stores memories like files in a box or on a hard drive is not what science has taught us about memories so far. Memories are not kept as single units in one location. Instead, they are formed by networks of neurons that fire together, forming patterns of connections. When you first learn something, these connections are formed during encoding. When you later remember it, parts of that same network become active again.
Forgetting often does not mean that a memory has disappeared; it means that the network is temporarily hard to access. Successfully retrieving a memory relies on two things: availability and accessibility. A memory can be available (stored in the brain) but not accessible at a given moment without the right cue. For example, you might not be able to recall the name of your friend’s favoritedish until you smell it.
Learning builds memory scaffolding
So, now we know a little more about existing memories, but how do we make new ones? Learning rarely happens in isolation. New information often overlaps with what we already know, and this overlap is actually a feature of the system. Related information forms a so-called schema: a structured network of knowledge that helps organize and interpret new input. Schemas are not static folders in a mental shoebox; they are flexible, growing networks. When new information fits into an existing schema, it can “attach” to multiple connections at once, making it easier to store and retrieve later.
Language learning is a good example. Learning a new word does not exist in isolation; it connects to sounds, meanings, grammar, and to similar words you already know, sometimes across languages, such as learning German when you already speak Dutch. This is why learning often becomes easier over time: the more structure you have, the more scaffolding is available for new knowledge. Research shows that when information fits an existing schema, the hippocampus (a brain region crucial for forming new memories) works together with cortical areas to integrate that information more efficiently, leading to more durable memories. This is why meaningful learning tends to stick better than memorizing unrelated facts.
Forgetting isn’t just “running out of room”
So why do we still forget? One major reason is interference. When memories are similar, they can compete during retrieval. Instead of one memory replacing another, multiple candidates become active at the same time, and the brain struggles to select the right one. For example, for people who know multiple languages, words from both languages can be activated simultaneously. This can make retrieval slower or more error-prone, but this kind of forgetting is adaptive. A memory system that constantly prioritizes relevant connections and allows less-used ones to fade from easy access stays flexible and efficient. Forgetting is not a failure of the system as it helps prevent overload and supports learning in the long run.
A better metaphor for memory
Rather than a shoebox with limited space, a better metaphor for memory is a network of paths. Learning builds new routes and strengthens existing ones. Sometimes paths intersect and cause momentary confusion, but the network as a whole becomes richer and more flexible. The more we learn, especially when new knowledge connects meaningfully to what we already know, the better our brain becomes at learning itself.
Credits
Author: Helena Olraun
Buddy/Editor: Dirk-Jan
Translation: Lucas Geelen
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