system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why do cringing memories from the distant past remain so persistent? Do we know what triggers them instead of other memories?

Was just reading in another sub about this, and it seems fairly common for memories of cringing moments of your past to float up to the forefront of your mind when you're trying to get to sleep. They can also trigger an avalanche of similar memories. Why is this? What could be triggering it?
gpt
Your sense of self, and who you perceive yourself to be are extremely important psychologically.  

You're probably familiar with cognitive dissonance - when you hold two conflicting ideas in your head.  This is somewhat unpleasant.

I'd suspect that it's your mind still trying to reconcile why you aren't a cringer, despite the fact that you have done a cringe-worthy thing.