Memory may be our best tool as we strive to become wiser. It helps us learn from mistakes.

This may seem obvious, but a tremendous advantage we have as older adults is our memory. I’m talking about a lot more than recollections of precious times in life or a reflection on a difficult period but thinking of it as a tool we use either consciously or unconsciously.

An often-repeated quote from George Santayana, a Spanish philosopher and writer, reminds us, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” It’s most often used in the context of war, politics and social issues.

In the context of wars, humans don’t seem to have good memories at all because history does seem to repeat itself over and over. Power and greed seem to supersede good memory.

Mark Twain said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” I think he meant that wars and politics do repeat over and over, and they all sound the same.

But it is true that memory can be our best tool in our personal life journeys. People who don’t learn from their mistakes don’t mature in healthy ways. Many studies have shown that the aging brain has advantages over its younger counterparts.

One Harvard Health study reports: “Older people have better judgment, are better at making rational decisions, and are better able to screen out negativity than their juniors are. Additionally, the amygdala, the area of the brain that consolidates emotion and memory, is less responsive to negatively charged situations in older people than in younger ones.”

So much emphasis is put on memory loss we tend to forget it can be our best attribute. Remember that long memories are something young people don’t have.

Do we have better judgment? Can we make better decisions now? Are you better at dealing with negative situations? I want to think so.

The catch is that we usually learn our most important lessons through our mistakes. Consequently, we remember the past and are determined not to repeat the same error. On occasion (when we’re attentive) we get to learn from other people’s mistakes.

That’s what maturity is all about. Step by step, we have the opportunity to grow wiser.

Henry Ford said, “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” It takes self-compassion to forgive yourself and be determined to make the best of your blunder. Our memory is literally a tool we use to grow wise.

Although we’d like to share the hard-earned lessons with others (especially our children), it is well-known that most people are not open to learning from your mistakes and will stubbornly make their own.

Like so many other attributes of age, we need to appreciate the advantage we have with our long memories. We have the time and the tools to become wise.

Find Connie's book, "Daily Cures: Wisdom for Healthy Aging," at www.justnowoldenough.com.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Memory helps us learn from mistakes as we strive for wisdom