Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Blog Post #1: Due Class #16--Freud's Note on the Mystic Writing Pad
Relate Freud’s theory to either your own life (using personal narrative)
or to society (using impersonal analysis). Then comment on two other
students’ responses. Write your response directly on the blog and copy/paste it
into your google doc.
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Okay so, who else thinks that Freud's theory of memory is super creepy? I mean, If all of our memories are selected, created, and constructed not only by us but by the world around us then... Can we even trust our memory?
ReplyDeleteI often think of my memories as if they are facts when in all actuality, I may have altered it in my head after the occurrence of a new event...or worse, I could've made the entire thing up completely ! This theory is especially interesting now that we are going to begin reading memoirs in class. We'll be reading all sorts of books about people lives: their struggles and their successes. But can we even believe them?! They too are subject to the faults of memory.
I agree with your point that your memory might not be completely true or that the entire thing could've been made up, however do you think authors write super sad memoirs for attention and sympathy? Ellie Wiesel for example, do you think he wrote his memoir to gain attention or fame because his story is so sad? Do you think he wrote his memoir in a way that you feel bad for him and give him sympathy? Do you think his whole story is made up and he based of things he heard was happening in the concentration camps? Do you think he would even go as far to look skinny and all types of messed up so he could sell it? Yeah sure he might not be completely accurate about his memoir but I believe if something that traumatic occurs in your past, you will remember it and it will be apart of you. Just a thought, don't mean to criticize you I do most definitely agree with that memories can sometimes be stretched.
DeleteOh yeah, I definitely agree with the fact that if something is traumatic it will surely surely stick in your memory but I think that I meant to focus more on the little details of the situation, like when they describe every little event in super specific detail. Also, I think people like Ellie Wiesel, who have extremely sad and touching stories, may write memoirs as a form of expression, BUT I also believe that people who are already celebrities like Snooki from the Jersey Shore definitely write memories for more attention.
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DeleteKatelan I agree with your statement "can we even trust our memory?" It's sort of hard especially if what you're trying to remember something that happened when you were a baby, like thats impossible so you might make up some things along the way like "I remember when this happened and you did this and mom said this" and then the others just look at you like "what are you saying? I don't remember this happened." And you're just so confident in what you're saying and you're like it def. happened but there's no way you can prove it. I just feel like it's sort of tricky, some people just get to choose and pick what they want to remember...
DeleteI agree with what you said Katelan. Freud's theory is pretty weird, due to the fact that our memories are selected and created, not by us, but by the different things occurring in the world around us. I really lost trust in my memories because of Freud and now I definitely cannot trust them anymore. So you're telling me that the whole time I've been making up memories from the start!?
DeleteI also agree with you Laura. You won't really catch every detail that happened. I feel like people do indeed choose and pick what they want to remember, just to make the memory feel right to them.
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ReplyDeleteFreud's theory with the slate toy makes some sort of sense. Each page on the slate acts as a cue to retrieve the memory from his brain. Your long term memory holds your memories permanently so each page easily just recalls one. However even if you write down a certain memory, I believe that if that memory isn't significant enough that you won't be able to recall it. Even if you were to write down a simple thing that happened yesterday, you won't be able to remember it if it wasn't significant. Freud's theory with the slate toy does make sense in the case where if you write something a lot you might be able to remember it. But then again, is your memory something that really happened or your brain just telling you that that happened because it is hiding something bigger?
ReplyDeleteI agree with this. A lot of people have trouble remembering things that have happened to them unless they went through some emotional distress at the time. In my case I can often only remember things if I were upset, angry, or extremely happy. And even then, I can never be too sure if what I am remembering actually has some truth to it.
DeleteI see what you're saying, and maybe it's the way you worded it but i'm not entirely sure what you mean by when stating "it is hiding something bigger". Freud seems to be posing an underlining question of whether or not our memories are accurate, with time he proposes memories are subjected to distortion, but distortion doesn't mean hidden. Your brain isn't hiding something bigger from you, unless perhaps you've experienced a traumatic experience but that I believe is an entirely different subject of memory, not so much characterized in Freud's memory comparison to a mystic writing pad. I strongly agree however, that memory is more memorable if it holds some sort of significance, particularly on an emotional level. Unemotional memories can stick to your long term but only after constant repetition and practice, those are more likely to be accurate (assuming you were memorizing them accurately) as opposed to those based on emotion, but even then, disruption to routine repetition might eventually cause the factual memory to fade, or factors such as dementia might cause strong held memories of all sorts to vanish or become corrupted in some way or form. Humans are biased, those who can easily step out of their shoes are more open minded and understanding of situations different from their own but more doesn't mean always and stepping out doesn't mean never coming back, so if we are all in some way biased, if being biased is a human thing, then it only makes sense to encounter memories that are biased. You remember what you want to remember, just like you do things that interest you, you remember things that interest you. Also it's not only old age and dementia that can play a role in your memory but also early childhood memories, hardly anyone remembers infancy and as you age your memory is developing and at those beginning stages of development, your memory is less likely to be accurate. We cannot remember everything (unless you have photographic memory) there is a reason why there is sensory memory and short term and it's not all long term, how do you chose what goes where? that depends on what you find significant enough and making that decision can be automatic or completely conscious. Lastly, when you forget or didn't pay enough attention to a piece of a puzzle in which you have in turn created a significant gap within a memory, your brain might fill that gap. In conclusion, your brain lies, erases memories, adds memories, your memories are biased, all this could be due to many factors, but in terms of Freud's Mystic Writing Pad, I wouldn't exactly say memories are hidden.
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DeleteI agree with you to a certain extent. I agree with " if that memory isn't significant enough that you won't be able to recall it," but at the same time it depends. Doing the same thing constantly would be significant enough for you to remember it 10 years later, but at the same time it wouldn't be that significant because you always did that same thing. What would make it different any other day? If you write something down and try to recall it, I think it will be hard to remember if something didn't happen that was extremely bad or extremely good. Simultaneously however, you will still somewhat remember this event simply because you wrote it down so you won't forget!
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Delete*Response to Victoria
DeleteI am not sure that you can say, with the exception of the presence of the repression of traumatic experiences, that your brain is not "hiding something bigger from you," for the reason that saying so completely ignores the concept of the conscious versus the unconcious mind. The mystic writing pad is but one bilayer of Freud's concept of memory, for as you say, memory has an uncanny link to emotion, and emotion is the product of various reactions to stimuli, some of which cannot be understood by the experiencer. Moreover, in a situation where the experiencer may believe they understand why they may be expressing a certain emotion, it is also possible that this is merely a product of empiricism, and thus is self-delusive -- something I believe you also postulate. However, that being said, the concept that emotional memories, despite being subject to “distortion,” are more indelible than memories not linked to sentiment, is ostensible. I say this because recollection is, in fact, a process constantly used in order to understand surroundings, mechanics, speech, and thousands of other namable processes. By being exposed to information of this sort, we are able to categorize memories with no sentimental affiliation almost immediately after being exposed to it the first time. One example of this would be if you saw a purple apple, which was different from others only in color. You have never seen this apple before, but immediately after feeling, tasting, and smelling it -- you recognize it as one. Even if you never saw this apple again, whenever you recalled your memory of what an apple is, you would be able to recollect that you had in fact seen the purple apple in the past, despite your limited exposure to it. Thus, despite the fact that many people gravitate to the concept that memories linked to emotion are easier to recall than those that are not, this is merely a miscomprehension of what memory is in its entirety, and, moreover, it is false to say that a brain cannot “hide” information from the human in possession of it, since there are various factors that play a role in the mind set and behavior of an individual that are beyond their perception, but is, however, in the brains possession.
Nabil I agree with what you said here. I feel that the memory has to be really important to you and have a pretty positive effect on you in order for you remember every little detail that occurred. It has to affect you emotionally just so you can fully remember that memory!
DeleteFreud's theory with the magic slate toy got me thinking. The reason we threw away that toy was because those particles that were supposed to go away as soon as you "swiped" them away remained there. Is it possible that is how our brain retains memories? When we try to recall something that happened, we think it's completely gone, but it's not. Those bits and pieces of that moment are those particles that won't go away. I think you can never truly have a clean slate because your brain will always remember something, whether or not it's completely accurate.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU MAYRA!!! I def. agree with you. There's no way that we can simply forget something that happened. Those memories will always stay with you no matter what. You talked about "swiping" the memories away and how they remained there I feel like it's very significant because it shows how the memories can't be erased probably replaced but you can't forget.
DeleteI think it is definitely possible that one segment of memory behaves this way, especially since there are so many factors that govern over recollection. Emotional state, location, and especially another individual can provide stimuli that can “bring back” memories that we never would have that we could remember. Also, apart from being brain dead, I think it is true that you can never “have a clean slate” even in cases of amnesia, since preexisting neurological connections that were developed from past experience would most likely remain in tact.
DeleteGreat point Mayra! But what about the point where the magic slate toy gets used so much that the imprint of particles left on the back of the slate toy become a meaningless scrible. They're all there and you can make out some of the imprints, but can you actually do that with out making up some of the parts that have become totally illegible?
DeleteI don't feel like Freud's theory makes any sense at all! I feel like people are able to remember what happened to them years ago, although it may be pretty vague. For example, I remember being asked when I was in the second grade by two teachers what I would like to study later on like what intersts me and I remembered saying I want to become a doctor. Because of this, I feel like we truly are unable to forget certain things, I mean yes you can try to forget something but it'll come back to you later on, something might trigger your thoughts. I feel like people try really hard to forget certain things, for example if they did something wrong and they just keep reminiscing, they would obviously want that to go away but in reality those memories will just keep haunting you in someway. As we get older, new memories seem to come our way and the old ones seem to pass by but somehow the things you encounter provoke your memory and allows you to gain those thoughts again.
ReplyDeleteI somewhat agree with this. I do feel like some memories are gone completely and you can't really do anything to remember them. But some memories can be connected with an object or sound and that can cause you to remember them, but I don't feel like that works for all memories. For example, my earliest memory happens to be when I was about 3 or 4 years old. But I don't remember everything that happened to me when I was that age, and I don't believe that a object can trigger this memory to come back to me, unlike more recent memories.
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DeleteI completely disagree. Of course you can remember things that happened to you years ago, but it's accuracy must be questioned. Memories can be forgotten and then brought back to light even when done so vaguely, and purposefully forgetting something in your long term is practically impossible but I think you are missing the point that Freud is attempting to convey. All parts of the memory are represented within the toy; long term, short term and so forth, the previous traces of memory (writings on the pad) remained there despite of the layers of new memories represented over time. thus the old memories were still there, and you are able to read them "in suitable lights" . How old your memory is and how you came to acquire it are factors that can distinguish the likelihood of the accuracy within a memory, you are you and therefore you cannot distinguish how biased you are and that includes in terms of your own memory. You remember saying you want to become a doctor because that is the part of the memory that resonated with you, it contained personal value, do you remember any of the two teacher's responses afterword? or do you remember any context as to why two teachers were asking you the same question? do remember if you were asked any other question that day? do you remember what you were wearing even? I don't think Freud is saying you forget early memories, but that they are prone to distortion due to biased recollections of those memories.
DeleteI completely agree with you! We are able to recall things that happened long ago, for people our age a lot of these memories are from our childhood. Also, when trying to forget about bad things I think that's arguable depending on how bad is it or just the person in general, but it is still something that is still difficult to do.
DeleteI wholeheartedly agree with you Laura. The more significance a certain memory holds, the longer it will imprint itself on our minds.
DeleteI completely agree with you Laura. A countless number of times I remembered things from my childhood that I couldn't believe actually happened. Sometimes I believe that current events/ my sister's experiences are getting shaped into my memories from my past and other times I believe my brain brings up memories because something little created a drastic effect. It is amazing how the brain works and recalling memories that happened years ago will always have us trying to figure out if its true or not. Furthermore, even though it may not be completely true, I think a little piece of the memory actually happened because why else would the thought even come to mind in the first place?
DeleteI agree with you. I can remember subtle details of important things happened in my life that are long time ago.
DeleteIn certain aspects of Freud’s theory, there are flaws that I thought should be considered. Freud believes that permanently tracing memories may result in a loss of value of them. I view my memories as moments that I am able to reflect on; however, I wouldn’t necessarily go to the extent of writing them down. I don’t think that permanently tracing memories has the possibility of creating the effect of decreasing its value since the purpose of permanently tracing memories is to a keep an “unaltered version” of a memory. Thus, ultimately preserving the value of the memory since it's closest to what actually happened.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, the concept casually needing to erase memories on the Mystic Writing Pad itself doesn't seem true to me either because memories aren't always best described or remembered simply because they are what most recently happened. It varies with people, but a portion of it has to do with the impact that memory had on the person.
I agree. Just because you trace the "memory" doesn't mean that it is less important. I also agree that memories can also be bad/negative. Good job 10/10
DeleteI agree with you Darwin, however using Freud's analogy, I must ask what happens when you run out of space on your mystic writing pad? You must erase some to make space for others, just as our technology memory works and our brains work.
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ReplyDeleteI agree because yes in general memories are moments to reflect on and all that good stuff. And the point of "It varies with people...with the impact that memory had on the person." is very true in the process of recollecting that memory. However I believe Freud may be right in saying that permanently tracing memories may result in a loss of value to them. This is because there actually may be altered versions of a memory due to interference. For example, an old memory can make it difficult to decide whether what you're remembering is the current memory or a past memory. But again, it may all depend how how important that memory is/was.
ReplyDeleteI agree for the most part, you're spot on about how time can erode the significance and value of any given memory. It can also interfere with present matters. Everyone always grasping to the past but not the future.
DeleteYes! Also people would not remember a memory that would make them look bad since it is not for their convenience.
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ReplyDeleteThis might be seen as unorthodox , but I want to bring some science to this English, philosophical debate. Studies have shown that our brain is designed to forget things seemingly irrelevant (for ex: what did you have for lunch on October 13th, 2015?) Fundamental details of my life however remained intact in my mind . I could remember the smell of the fresh cut grass in New Jersey the day training wheels of my bike were taken off. I could remember the silky surface of my first cellphone. I could remember the set of Lego's in the center of the room of my first Pre-K class.
ReplyDeleteMy point is no matter how flawed our memories may appear in our inability to remember negligible details in our life, humans have a profound ability to recall significant moments and occurrences.
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DeleteFreud's theory can be seen through the lense of the way adolescents think. Some of fundamental experiences happen in the blink of an eye and while they may contian signifanct meaning then, what happens to those memories with time? Permanently tracing memories allows not only for an "unaltered versions" but it truly allows a person to reflect on a memory for what it actually is. Our brain may capture many of the memories that we wish to retain, but it doesn't seem to reliable to capture absolutely everything. Starting with a new slate seem doesn't really seem realistic because we tend to carry memories everywhere we go.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Especially with the new slate because we don't just entirely forget memories as we move on, we just slowly lose parts of the whole.
DeleteYes! I agree. Although I would dare to chalange your veiws with my own hypothosis. I think the new slate metaphor/analogy is actually realistic because as you aquire more memeories they are inscribed both litterally and metaphorically on top of one another and as you age(aquire more memeories) the most recent ones are left in the imprint of the clay or whatever it is befind the paper. All I'm saying is that the slate works.
DeleteSigmund Freud's theory involving the slate toy is pretty accurate. For example, each layer wax can serve as different layers to a memory within the brain. No matter how much you try to repress the memory, if it is significant enough and constantly replayed (Drawn repeatedly) in your head, it will eventually stand out and become embedded in the brain (Leave a trace on toy). I'm not saying that because a memory isn't so significant it will not be recalled because questioning whether some memories are actually accurate can also come into play. But the chances of you remembering what color pen you used for your bio test verses what color your outfit was on your birthday would most likely be in favor of your outfit, just because it was a special day.
ReplyDeletei like your claim. I especially like the part where you talk about the negative because memory is not just all good memory. it can sometimes be bad. keep it up 10/10
Deletei agree with you and also would like to add an example that unless something out of the ordinary happens on a certain occasion, it'll be very hard to remember a memory with accuracy since there was no event that made that memory pop out in your mind.
DeleteMy First memory as a child I believe was when I was 4 years old. It’s odd, and I cannot explain it, but when it comes to memory I barely remember a single thing before and during the age of 5. What’s even more odd is that my twin brother seemed to have experienced the same loss of memory, we have developed childhood amnesia it seems. Therefore I believe that no memory I believe to contain before or during the age of 5, is likely to be trustworthy as an accurate representation of what had happened. Memory on its own, despite of this odd situation both my brother and I seemed to have been on, is a difficult form of documentation to be called upon accuracy. It can be largely based on emotion, the memories people seem to remember the most seem to be those involving a personally important experience connected to the host on an emotional level. The significance of a memory is largely based on the person at hand. It seems that if there was a memory, or a glimpse of a memory originating this time of mental blocking, it was shared; my brother and I had the same memory or something I’d say mainly similar. But of course, we did not agree on all parts, because these memories did not involve the both of us on an equal emotional level. Because I was so young, I most likely failed to put together all the facts, and so I question whether all my memories of this time were real or just a concoction of dreams created by my child mind, to which in turn I passed on as fact, if my brother can recall it then it must of happened but who's version is correct. This is why I completely agree with Freud when he stated that memories are prone to distortion. We remember what we want to remember based on the significance it held, the same memory can be told in many different ways depending on the person.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your statement about Freud's theory and I think that what you said about you and your brother's memory was really interesting. You both shared a memory of the same situation yet the details were lost in translation. Maybe the situation was more emotional for you and less for him or vice versa. It's really strange to understand how unreliable our memories can actually be because of the limitations attached to it.
DeleteI agree with you as well because it seems that overtime the details and overal accuracy of a memory can get hazy so it makes sense that we can remember what we want or fill in the blanks to our convenience.
DeleteI agree with you because since the ability to hold a memory can be dependent on its significance to a given person, different individuals involved within a single memory can view the same situation in different ways.
DeleteI agree with Sigmund Freud. Even though we may try to erase our memories(trying to forget certain things) or simply forgetting things that occurred in the past, I think we aren't fully doing so. Certain objects/words always bring things up when we least expect it. I remember my mother telling me stories about a turtle I had when I was in St. Lucia and my aunt let it walk loose around the house. I don't know how many times she told me this but as I got older I actually remembered this. This memory was VERY faint but I still remember it. Trying to fully erase memories isn't possible even though you think you can. And even though you think you completely forgot about a memory, it can come up without you realizing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you're saying about how if something comes up multiple times you have that memory even if you are being told something happened when you don't completely remember it. This also makes me question what else we believe just because we hear it constantly?..
DeleteI also agree with Freud Theory and think it is very important if we want to learn about the brain and or memories. We also have to realize that Freud is a psychologists so he has an excellent amount of knowledge involving the brain. He is correct to connect memories to a magic "slate toy' because when we have a memory it is written then stored in the brain. Then it is saved by using the wax. It is also important and accurate that when we have a lot of memories the old ones start to fade. That is also why the wax is important. It is like notes being used to take notes. We need the notes to study for a test and when the teacher gives us information we write it down to be used later so we wont forget the important stuff. This is why I think this is so accurate and significant.
ReplyDeleteI agree to your point in that our old memories tend to fade away. In order to persevere ones thoughts and memories it is significant to document these ideas and events down to recall them later. It is important because people will be able to have assess of the things they had written down before if they forget it later.
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ReplyDeleteFreuds theory is one of the most important structural components of our understanding of memory and perception. In modern society, many constantly seek to achieve some form of fundamental understanding of the world via philosophical pursuits, which in tern become intertwined with the study of psychology, since how the brain functions plays such a large role in how we perceive, of course. However, because of how society has absorbed the teachings of original thinkers, such as Freud, it is easy for us to take information for granted. Although the theory of the mystic writing pad may seem simplistic to us, that is largely because our lives and education have been filled with freudian teachings, despite the fact that we may not have known the origin of them. Of course, in an academic environment it is common to pay tribute to the discoverers of various notions, but, it is often that we don’t quite understand how deep our gratitude should extend, since our exposure to the notion over a lengthy period of time has led us to think of it as simplistic or obvious.
ReplyDeleteI extremely concur with Freud's statement/theory simply because we live a life where we communicate many different things. Is is the way in which humans have interacted with each other since the beginning. In order to communicate the experiences with have, we must rely on our minds to provide us with truth of memories of those experiences, or at least for what we believe the truth is. With this logic, we will never know what the truth really is unless we have a 24/7 surveillance camera attached to us since we were born. So whats essential for oneself is to believe what one thinks the truth is because that is the only memory we have of a certain moment and also cherish that memory since it we are told that a certain experience didn't happen as we thought it happened, it could have a negative emotional impact on our self esteem.
ReplyDeleteI agree to your point that we can only rely on the one memory we clearly remember. As we grow older, we tend to forget past memories and information and can only recall a certain point of what had occurred in our childhood. We rely on that one memory as if it holds the truth to every answer.
DeleteI agree to your point that we can only rely on the one memory we clearly remember. As we grow older, we tend to forget past memories and information and can only recall a certain point of what had occurred in our childhood. We rely on that one memory as if it holds the truth to every answer.
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ReplyDeleteFreud’s theory is in a sense somewhat realistic. Our memories are a collection of information we have gathered throughout our childhood. As we grow older, many of our memories seem to degrade and dissipate. We can no longer recall every memory we have had, but we can recall some different aspects of our memory. This is interesting. We are able to reminisce significant events in our life; however, we are unable to recall the entire memory itself. Our memories are also created by not just our perception of life, but the perception of others as well. Our memories have different layers and perspectives of certain events. This is a sense makes our memories unreliable to some degree. Some may encounter certain events to be different from the other person. Freud’s theory in some way is considered relevant. We can never really rely on our memories for the things that have actually happened in our lives.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sigmund Freud's theory mostly because we live in a society with a lot of things happening at sea time. Many things can happen to oneself in a day and of course one can't retain all the memories. However, one will remember the important things happened to them even though it's long time ago. For example, I remember the first day of high school when I saw bunch of strangers, and went through metal detectors.
ReplyDeleteLin, I agree with your point when you touched on one cannot just simply remember everything they did and those memories they formed in one day. The human the mind has an infinite amount of storage. It just takes time for the information and the events to comprehend into your head. We are not a USB flash drive, we are human beings that are far from perfection. However Lin, I am not really sure on what you mean by "a lot of things happening at sea time". Other than that, I completely agree with your input on Sigmund Freud's theory.
DeleteI meant "a lot of things happen at same time". Sorry
DeleteI agree with you Lin, the first day of high school is a significant transition in your life so your mind will process this memory as an important moment in time, needed to be kept in your long term memory. I myself , clearly remember the first day of high school, being surrounded by so many strangers in a stranger environment.
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ReplyDeleteAs it can be seen through everyday human behavior, Freud's theory is extremely true among ourselves. Everyday whenever we see something it gets imprinted into our memories even if we chose not to remember it or not, such a catchy song or an annoying advertisement, but overtime, we choose whether to remember it or not and how we choose to remember it. Or even in my own personal experience, sometimes childhood memories tend to fade and often I find myself trying to recreate the memory as I best remember, filling the gaps while asking myself, is that right? Is that how it went? Or perhaps in a more extreme-unrelated-to-me example, sometimes you have people who try to adjust their memories and remember what they choose to remember. This is an example relating to Freud's analogy that the brain can be a magical slate board and we, being the pen and the slate board, have the ability to write and erase whatever we want.
ReplyDeleteI partially agree with Erik. However, there are those significant memories from our childhood that are just going to stick with us through the rest of our lives. In my perspective, I don't think anyone should be telling you how your mind functions and what memories you can remember and the ones you can quite recount. Only us as individuals can reminisce and remember those memorable moments. We can choose to make this memory memorable or just act like it never even happened before.
DeleteI agree! I think it also has to do with the fact that memories are prone to distortion. So we might find ourselves remembering memories for the signifance they have and we tend to fill in the blanks we are unsure of or seem right.
DeleteApparently, Sigmund Freud explored the human mind more thoroughly than anybody that came before him. In accordance to Sigmund Freud's theory, psychoanalysis was often used in his experiments and this was known to be the "talking cure". It was also a method that treats mental illnesses. I find all of these things fascinating and seem to be scientifically proven. But when it comes to the mind, you cannot be narrow minded and stick to one theory and believe it to be the cure to illnesses. You have to put the science aside and think for a moment. Provide your own input from your own brain. Some might be able to recount all those memories from their childhood then there are some that cannot because their childhood wasn't as "memorable" as the other people. My point is that you cannot use science to backup the natural human mind.
ReplyDeleteI feel that Freud's theory is extremely weird but I do indeed agree with it. I just wish it would make more sense, due to the fact that our memories are selected and created by us and the world around us. SHALL WE TRUST OUR MEMORIES? Our brain only wants us to absorb the memories we want to remember and that place a positive effect on us. I personally don't think we could erase any memories, but when we do acquire so many memories, the old ones definitely slowly start disappear and we can't remember the full details as we do with our new memories.
ReplyDeleteTo trust our memories is the reason why we humans are capable of surviving. Imagine if we lived in a world where we had no recollection of memory... guess what any creature you would have seen would be an enemy and you would either fear it or kill it, but how do these feelings developed if we had no memory. How did feelings first developed??? My, friend you are correct when stating that "I personally don't think we could erase any memories, but when we do acquire so many memories, the old ones definitely slowly start disappear and we can't remember the full details as we do with our new memories." But there is a solution and that is to write and pour your heart out into a paper or into your phone. You won't have to see it everyday but if you ever doubt yourself of events that have occurred you have the power to read facts and not be sucked into a whirlpool of assumptions.
DeleteIt’s kind of hard for me to accept the fact that my memories are in fact flawed. Since I understand myself through myself (I think, therefore I am), it's hard for someone else to tell you that your understanding of yourself is inaccurate. And for the most part there's a slight kind of existentialism that comes with understanding that even your own mind can be ‘working against you’. Freud makes understanding how our brain transcribes memories pretty interesting. The magic slate analogy seems like a very accurate way of thinking about how our memories work. There is the memory which acts as the pen, and the slate which is our brain. We are constantly creating new memories and then erasing the slate immediately for new ones. However the memory gets saved in the clay backing. And as we acquire new memories our first memories get fogged by the constant influx of new ones. I don’t know about you...but this is crazy!
ReplyDeleteIt is crazy! But I think you can see the gap in which why your memories have a possibility of being flawed. Even if your memories are sure your memories are what you think they are, are they ever REALLY accurate because they get "fogged up" overtime. Something to think about!
DeleteI agree with Freud with his theory that memory is prone to distortion because even though we think that we can remember things to our best ability, our memories can be biased just as ourselves. My college essay is about my love for taking pictures and I wrote that pictures are a way of trapping memories and unlike our minds, pictures don't lie. Photographs are a capture of a moment in time and memories tend to be a capture of a feeling in time. People tend to remember moments by the significance of it, the more significant the memory, the more likely it would remain in your long term memory. Memory can also be altered over time, your brain might attempt to fill in the gaps within a memory when insignificant parts within that memory might have been lost over time. Therefor, relying on memory as an accurate presentation of a moment that happened in time is not a reliable.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you TJ, "memory is prone to disorientation", we tend to mend our memories to what seems fit to out conscience to what we want to be true. Woah you totally blew my mind girl, like yessss!! Loved the way you compared and contrasted memories with photographs!
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ReplyDeleteOkay, so basically how does our memory function? Freud brings up really interesting ideas that are revolutionary, but the question still lies whether our memory will forever be accurate. Freud suggested to write down our memories because by doing so we are able to project these images. You guys insist that you are able to remember specific moments but lets say you guys may have been a victim in an accident and in the process you have altered your memory. You will be in a state of disbelief but will believe yourself since you are not aware of what the truth really is. Also, I'm not sure if Freud brought this up but in my perspective, as we grow and mature our once memories grow and mature as well. We tend to mend these memories into nostalgic ones, if good ones, or if they are memories that have impacted you, in a negative manner, you are going to hate it and forever fear it or abhor it. In conclusion, i believe that it is our human nature to write our memories down like a diary since it is because of these memories we are able to shine and keep pushing forward when hope is lost.
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