Source confusion
Mixing up where a memory came from, such as mistaking something you were told, read or imagined for something you experienced yourself. It is a specific kind of misattribution of memory.
In everyday life
After a coworker describes a tense meeting you missed, you later recount it as if you had watched it happen from your own seat.
You feel certain you already paid this month's electric bill, but it turns out you only pictured yourself doing it while planning your week.
Why your mind does this
Memory is rebuilt each time we recall it, which lets us update what we know with new information. Revisiting a memory also strengthens it, so the things we return to often become the easiest to reach. This keeps our knowledge current without storing every version of every event.
Its family, in 30 seconds: Edited memories
How to spot it
Watch for memories where you cannot tell whether you saw it, heard about it, read it or only imagined it.
How to counter it
When you tell a story, say 'I saw' only for what you saw yourself and 'I heard' for everything else.