You may remember deciding to do something without being able to feel sure that you actually did it. The doubt sends you back to check, sometimes more than once, because the completed action never seems to have left a clear trace.
- walking back from the car park to check whether the car is locked
- getting out of bed to look at the switched-off oven again
- opening the sent folder to confirm the email really went
- checking your bag twice for the keys you just put inside
Looks vs reality
The same Experience can look very different from the outside than it feels on the inside.
"You're just being forgetful."
It’s not about forgetting; my brain didn't create a memory file for that action, so there’s nothing to retrieve.
"Relax, you always do this. You're just being anxious."
The anxiety is a *symptom* of the memory gap, not the cause. My brain has a genuine blank space where the proof should be.
"Why can't you just trust yourself?"
I would love to, but my working memory didn't print a receipt for that transaction. I have to go back and verify it manually.
"We're already late, can't it wait?"
An alarm is blaring in my head that says 'POTENTIAL DISASTER,' and it won't shut off until I have physical proof that everything is okay.
"You checked it three times already."
Each check feels like the first time because the 'checked' feeling doesn't stick. The loop needs a definitive 'off' switch, not just another spin.
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