Podcast Summary: “Recordemos lo justo” – Más de uno (Onda Cero)

Date: January 29, 2026
Host: Carlos Alsina
Guest: Jorge Freire

Episode Overview

In this thoughtfully humorous segment, Carlos Alsina welcomes Jorge Freire for their regular Thursday exchange, offering philosophical musings with a light touch. The main theme is the function and burden of memory—how it shapes us, can both delight and trouble us, and maybe, at times, should be moderated. Drawing on literature, neuroscience, and contemporary politics, Freire weaves together personal insight, cultural observation, and references from Julian Barnes and Proust to Dante.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Memory as Chain Reaction (00:09 – 00:40)

• Jorge Freire introduces the IAM phenomenon (a reaction where one memory triggers a cascade of further memories).
  • “Hagamos memoria... se inicia hablando de un curioso fenómeno neurológico que responde a las siglas de IAM y qué sucede cuando una sensación activa un recuerdo y este recuerdo activa otro...” (B, 00:09)
  • Uses the example of smelling coffee, which can trigger countless associated recollections.

2. Literary Illustrations: From Proust to Barnes (00:41 – 01:10)

• Proust’s madeleine: A classic example of sensory-triggered memory leading to a flood of recollections.
  • “Pero el fenómeno puede ser bonito si por ejemplo pensamos en Proust, Marcel Proust, ya de mayor, que bueno, mordisquea una magdalena y eso abre una esclusa de recuerdos...” (B, 00:47)
• Dual nature of memory: While it can be beautiful, it can turn oppressive when negative memories or unwanted associations (like summer pop songs) emerge.

3. Memory and Contemporary Politics (01:11 – 01:40)

• Political memory as a burden: Freire references government actions—migration U-turns and shifting alliances—and asks what it would be like if our minds forced us to relive every inconsistency.
  • “Leyendo a Barnes me preguntaba qué pasaría si experimentáramos un IAM y nos pasaran por la cabeza todos los bandazos migratorios del gobierno...” (B, 01:20)
• Imagines people wishing for “a Proustian madeleine dosed with sedatives” to selectively forget political zigzags.

4. The “Right” Amount of Memory (00:41 – 01:45)

• Dante’s warning: Referencing La Divina Comedia on the danger of excess memory.
  • “A veces, como dice Dante en La Divina Comedia, la memoria sucumbe a tanto exceso. Así que hagamos memoria y recordemos lo justo.” (B, 01:44)
• Conclusion: Sometimes, it’s best to remember just enough—not everything.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the relentless nature of memory:

  • “La memoria sucumbe a tanto exceso. Así que hagamos memoria y recordemos lo justo.”
    — Jorge Freire (01:44)

• Light banter closing off the segment:

  • “¿Un caramelo? Gracias, Carlos.” — Jorge Freire (01:50)
  • “Falta me hace.” — Jorge Freire (01:52)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:03 | Segment opens; Alsina welcomes Freire.
• 00:09 – 00:40 | Introduction of memory’s “chain reaction” and IAM phenomenon.
• 00:41 – 01:10 | Literary examples: Proust and the positive/negative aspects of memory.
• 01:11 – 01:40 | Political analogy—memory as a record of shifting policies.
• 01:41 – 01:44 | Conclusion; reference to Dante and the value of moderation in remembering.
• 01:50 – 01:54 | Lighthearted exchange about caramel.
• 01:56 | Segment closes; transition to time check.

Tone and Style

Freire’s style is dryly witty, intellectual, and playful—interlacing literary references with contemporary anecdotes. Alsina’s responses keep the mood light and conversational, allowing thoughtful points to land without heaviness.

Summary Conclusion

This segment offers a philosophical yet accessible meditation on memory: its involuntary triggers, its power to both delight and irritate, and its relevance in everyday experience—from literature to politics. The advice is gentle but pointed—perhaps for peace of mind, it’s best to “recordemos lo justo.”