"You have to begin to lose your memory, of only in bits and pieces, to realize that memory is what makes our lives, life without memory is no life at all...our memory is our coherence, our reason, our feeling, even our action, without it, we are nothing..."
____Luis Bunel
What would life be like if you couldn't remember your past or imagine your future? Clive Wearing is one of the most famous case studies in the field of memory. He suffered an illness as an adult that destroyed parts of his brain necessary for processing and storing memories.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, can you imagine what your life would be like if you could never forget anything that you experienced? Jill Price can tell you.
Reflect on the opening quote, and discuss how the two extremes of memory discussed here give insight into how our memories are integral to our sense of self. Be sure to address both the problems of no memory, and too much memory.
Brett Ekblad - P1
ReplyDeleteIt is true that we are nothing without our memory. Our memory is where we store our experiences which make up such a grand part of our life. "Life without memory is no life at all." What this is saying is that if we cannot remember important events that we have gone through, the people in our lives, and where we came from, living is just a blank sheet of paper. This is the case for Clive Wearing. His absence of any memory, besides a few seconds, has left him as this blank sheet. As we saw in the video, he is a bland human being that can now only rely on others moment by moment to fill in the gaps of his past. He may not realize that he has lost all sense of himself, but from our outsider's view, it is clear. On the opposite end is the case of Jill Price. Jill has a sense of self, but it almost seems that she has too much of it. By being able to recall every moment of her life, good, and the more dominating bad, it has left her in a constant state of remorse. She cannot let anything go and her overpowering memory has left her psychologically crippled. Part of being human, and our survival, is the ability to forget or let things pass. Bad events can over time become less severe and we regain a normal state. Memory is only a smooth working process when it is in its middle ground. Too much or none at all takes away what makes up our lives.
These two extremes not only inhibit these people to live their daily lives, but it also interferes with their futures. As the quote states, if you cannot remember you're past you are left with nothing because the past is what makes the present. This is critical in Clive Wearing because he never will be able to further his knowledge, live alone, or grow as a person without knowing what he has learned and where he has been throughout his life. Memories are so critical in our lives because our memories are what make us different people. People are products of their experiences, therefore Jill Price's disorder is equally as traumatizing. For Jill, she can never get past the depressing events in her life. Her cycle of grief never stops because her brain can never remove any of the events that have occured in the past. Although she has a firm grasp of who she is because she can recall every moment in her life, she struggles because her issues that she dealt with as a teenager are still her problems that she deals with as an adult.
ReplyDelete-Kimmy Steelman, Period 1
I agree with the quote when it states that life with no memory is no life at all. I feel that remembering certain events that happen in our lives help us in many ways. First off, we can learn from our mistakes. By not being able to remember what happened we won;t be able to build off of what we have learned from previous decisions. Also, memories are what make us the type of person we are. The way we deal with our memories and past events is what shapes our personalties and character. Some of the things that make me the happiest are memories that I have from fun times with friends and family.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure which I would rather have: no memory or too much memory. I think that having no memory of anything would be awful. To not remember the people you love and who love you, the fun times you have had, or even where you are when you wake up would be so disorienting. I would hate waking up and not knowing who I am, who I could talk to, or what I had done the day before. But to remember everything would be awful as well. There are some things that I wish I could remember but I can't, but there are some things that I wish I could get out of my memory.I think to remember everything would be very stressful on oneself. People constantly talk about letting go of the past, it creates too much of a burden to hold on to all of the stressful, depressing memories that we have. The brain sometimes naturally represses certain memories that are too hard on the body, and to remember even those memories would be unbearable.
Amy Johnson
1st hour
I think the opening quote is very right because life without memory isn't life at all. Clive Wearing is the perfect example of this because he can't remember what happened to him a few seconds before. He can't function normally, he doesn't even know what his kids are doing, and he forgets that he has ever interacted with humans. I think if you can't remenmber your life you can't continue to live it because you don't know where you've benn or what you've already done. In the beginning of the quote when it says that you need to losebits and pieces of your memery you realize how it makes your life, I thought of Jill Price because she never lost any bits or pieces and now she can't forget anything. I feel like if I remebered every single moment of my life there would be a lot of regret just because I feel like I wouldn't have a ccomplished enough. You always remember what you accomplish, but if you also remembered all the time you wasted, it wouldn't seem as significant. Memory is important in our lives because it allows us to know how we got to be the people we are and it reminds ous of what we've done that is good and bad, but with too much it would be inmpossible to look to the future because we'd be so caught in the past, weighed down by our past.
ReplyDeleteTara Dunseith
1st Hour
I completely agree with the quote by Luis Bunel. To me, your memory is what guides you, and its where you develop your moral compass. An experience can teach you many things about morality and just give you a sense of emotions and if you forget all those experiences than it's basically like being born again and starting new. Not only would your moral compass have to "reset" itself all the time, your mind would be blank to emotional experiences that can have defined your life (births, marriages, deaths, etc.)Clive Wearing only remembers his wife, and everytime he sees her he is overjoyed which seems wonderful, but is really quite sad. He forgets his wife if she leaves the room and he can't see her. It has deteriorated his relationships with others as well because he can hardly finish his sentence before he forgets what the question was.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand...if you have too much memory it can adversely affect you as well. You dwell on the past and scrutinize every decision you've ever made. This can deteriorate relationships and make a person too concerned and stuck dealing with the morality of their past all the time so much so that they don't fully live in the present.
-Katelyn Stermer, 1st Hour
Luis Bunel's quote is very true. Without memory we are nothing. We saw this in the case of Clive Wearing. Wearing is unable to function in daily life because of his lack of a memory. Every day is the same thing for him. He does not have a sense of self because of his problem. Is it any different if we have too much memory? Jill Price's case also affects her life. Price faces challenges every day in experiencing any emotion every felt, especially negative ones. As her father said, for her time never heals. This ruins her sense of self because never can she remember ONLY the positive things. In her mind she will always experience the bad days like when her husband passed away.
ReplyDeleteGrant Van der Voort, Period 1
Just as it is difficult to appreciate sunshine without some rain once in awhile, so to is it difficult to appreciate the power of memory without gradually losing it.
ReplyDeleteClive Wearing is a perfect example of this principle. Wearing lives an empty life with very little meaning, because he is incapable of drawing on past events to formulate new ones. His time is spent making sense of basic things, just to forget them soon after.
Jill Price shows the complete opposite condition and its effects. Price's incredible memory forced her to live too much in the past, creating a second self. These two extremes show once again that a safe balance is probably the healthiest for all people.
Without memory, none of the important modern developments would have surfaced. The importance of memory coupled with the fact that it gradually leaves people, make appreciation of it a necessity.
David Nolan, period 3
Kim Bennett
ReplyDeleteperiod 3
I aggree with the quote in the beginning. I believe that memory is the foundation of our lives. Without it we would be living like Clive Wearing. We would not remember the littlest things in life that used to make us happy. I think that Clive Wearing is a perfect example of how this quote is true. Clive's life is forever changed because he only can remember his wife and noone else. His life will never be the same because he does not have memory to turn back to. He cant use memory as a safe escape for when things go wrong. On the other side of this, I think that Jill Price is also living an unfair life. She is the opposite of Clive and even though I believe it is important to have memory, I think that it is also very important to have a limited amount. Jill will forever life a life full of guilt and shame of her past. In conclusion, I think that it is indeed very important to have a significant amount of memory in your life, however, having too much of it and not being able to forget anything can also destroy you and tear you apart. (she will always remember her husband dying and will never forget the specific details associated with it).
In response to the quote about memory I do agree that without our memory we would have an extremely hard time knowing who we are and what we are all about. The people around us help build who we are and what we do. If we don’t recognize the people around us we will have an even harder time understanding why they are there and why things are significant to us. Our memories give us joy and insight into what we love. Of course we have bad memories we don’t want to remember but those memories teach us things too. If we don’t have memories about our mistakes we’ve made we will keep making those again and mess up.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be incredibly difficult to live your life if you couldn’t remember anything. It would be so hard to not know the people that are around you. Not remember anything would not be just difficult for the person who couldn’t remember, but also for the people surrounding them. If a wife couldn’t remember her husband, a father not remember his children. Having to restart their days everyday. Not remembering anything would completely cause someone to go into depression because they would be so lost as to who they are. Memories build on memories which teach us and help us remember who we are.
Having too much memory would be hindering as well because sometimes people need to escape the past and if they are not able to it, it would be very upsetting. I think it would fun to remember exact dates of certain things. But I would never want to feel the immediate sting of grief or sorrow over and over again not being able to escape it. Sometimes people just need to forget painful comments that other people make. If someone can not forget those painful comments they will constantly think about them and obsessive over those situations.
-Arielle Schwartz, 3rd hour
I agree with the fact that we are nothing without our memories. Memories enable us to retain our conception of who we are and enable us to recognize our family and friends, and remember the intimate details of our life. I would be terrified if I was suddenly unable to remember my life and have to wake up each day and start over. I remember watching the movie “50 First Dates” and getting so frustrated with the main character who suffered memory loss from a car accident and woke up each day forgetting the previous day’s events. Everyday I learn something new, make a new acquaintance, or have a new experience. I would be devastated to lose all memory of the details of my life.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I would rather be in Jill’s case and not be able to forget anything. Often times I draw a blank when it comes to a detail I am trying to remember and it will persist to drive me insane as I rack my brain for the answer. Luckily I have a normal functioning memory which is preferable because often times there are moments in which we would rather forget than remember. This selective memory is useful in that it helps us escape from past events that were traumatizing or hurtful. If we remembered every single moment such as getting dumped, or being called out by a friend these lingering memories can have negative effects on our self-esteem or our perception of ourselves.
To sum it up our brain functions the way it does because it is conducive to learning, our self-perceptions, and allows us to function. Without memory we would be lost, a feeling and situation I hope never to experience.
Maureen Doyle 3
Memory is everything to most people. Without memory it makes it impossivbble to move forward and let past choices or experiences affect you and your future, your present. If you couldn't remember your past or future you could never move forward in life. You camn't progress because you can't remember what you've done or what you planned to do. For me that would be especially crippling becaus eI want to be an actress. If I couldn't remember anything then that profession would be entirely impossible. You wouldn't really have a life because life is what you experience and remember and with no memory recall you couldn't plan for the future or remember anything that could affect you. In Jill's case her ability to remember everything adversly affected her. Because she couldn't forget anything she dwelled on every little comment and every little mistake. This crippled her because she couldn't let anything go, every sorrow and every nasty comment was constantly on the surface of her mind. She couldn't let go of teh past and because of that she couldn't live in the present. Whether you have no memory or too much memory they can both adversly effct your present and future.
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Nicolette Shutty
I agree with the opening quote but only after i saw the effects of both memory extremes. We truly are nothing without our memory. As seen by the case of clive wearing. He is not able to live a normal live due to his condition. He can not function or converse with other people or even his own thoughts becasue he can't remeber more than a few seconds at a time. The beginning part of the quote where Luis says that we have to begin to lose our memory before we realize that it is what makes us unique human beings. From our memories we experience feelings about situations that we may not have had if we didnt have a memory about a similar situation in the past. Because of our memories we react differently to life around us. With too much memory such as Jill price it inhibits our functioning. because she can remember so many things situations would not trigger just one memory but many. Also she dwells on her past actions because she sees them as a cause effect throughout her life. As a result too much memory would make for a tough life just as not enough memory inhibits fuctioning.
ReplyDeleteSarah Reindl Period 3
I think the quote above reflects how most people take their memory for granted because it has always been there without us having to think about it. Most people have some kind of memory loss and cannot remember the exact details of events in their life but living completely without memories would be life altering. It would be like starting each day as a newborn, not knowing anything you have learned previously. There would be no life lessons and no learning from your mistakes. I cant even imagine living without memory and I think memories are what make people unique and they are how we come into ourselves.
ReplyDeleteLiving with every memory would certainly be destructive to our personalities also. I think that having the ability to forget what has angered or embarrassed us is what makes us able to move on. When something bad happens, people often want to just forget about it and not think about it. This helps us cope with the problem because those memories are not things we want to dwell on. I think it takes a really strong person to be able to deal with the memories, good and bad, that are constantly resurfacing and can never be forgotten. Both problems, having too much memory and no memory, is hard to even comprehend because most people store certain memories and are able to forget the others.
Stef Tollefsen -3rd hour
Our memories define who we are. Luis Bunel says that when he says that memory makes our lives. to live in the moment like Clive has to completely rely on his wife. he doesn’t really have a life and his wife’s life is centered around him. I cant imagine not remembering what I did a minute ago, and then repeating the confusion over and over. I also think that I would try to keep a journal.
ReplyDeleteBut Jill who can’t forget anything doesn’t have it any easier. she has to life with meaningless information that she wishes she could forget- like everyone else does. it would be cool for her if she could choose what she wanted to remember but she cant, and to remember what happened 20 years ago, and what you did for lunch, defines you. she is known for her memory, because it comes up in her everyday life. If I remembered everything that I did or happened to me, I think I would be a completely different person than I am now. I would reflect more on my actions and the actions of others around me. it would make me much more confused because I would constantly over analyze things.
Sarah Borchardt
3rd hour
If I would not be able to remember my past, or even try to imagine the future, I would not be very happy. Being unable to remember your past, you would not be able to appreciate life. You won’t remember who your friends were, what you’ve done, what you’ve accomplished, whom you’ve met. Life would be depressing. You would not have the appreciation, the joy that life brings. You will not be able to remember the good or bad.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, if you were to remember everything, life wouldn’t be as bad. Jill Price is a woman that remembers everything, but she’s not the only person. There are many autistic individuals that are able to remember everything. Daniel Tammet, for example, is an autistic student (savant), whom at 25 years old, is able to remember everything. He is able to remember every page of every book he’s ever read, remember every face in every mall he has ever stepped in, and remember any event of any day he has ever experienced. Like Jill Price, Daniel Tammet is able to remember everything, yet he is living his life much more joyful than her.
Daniel has chosen to recall the goods in life. Unlike Jill, Daniel lives life to the fullest, and has used this ability in his educational career. He has surpassed in many different levels, and is also limited in other levels in his mental stage, yet unlike Jill, he has chosen to recall the good times in life.
Tadayyon
www.armintadayyon.com
I agree one hundred percent about what Luis Bunel had to say. Our lives revolve on the present and the past so when you take one of them out, it throws our lives off balance. People who don’t have a memory can not move forward with their lives because they won’t be able to remember what they were doing in the first place. They won’t remember the people who they once loved, the places they are so post to be at, or what time of day they must take their medications. Losing serious amounts of memory is very serious to a person health and can be life threatening. On the other hand, some people have been given a special gift of not being able to forget which can also cause devastating effects. When you can’t forget things, your brain is jam packed with information and is constantly keeping you from moving on. When you remember when someone close to you died, it is like living in that moment for the rest of your life. Our brains need to be able to sort threw our memory and keep what is needed and get rid of what can harm us or is useless. We also form our personalities based on our experiences and insight on the environment. We can not do that if we can’t remember who we were just having lunch with or what day of the week it is. Or when you remember everything, the thoughts eat up your insides so you feel every regret, grief, and embarrassing memory possible. In order to live our lives we must have a balance in what we remember and what we forget overtime. With anyone who forgets everything, or remembers everything, it is a sad situation but is also a great opportunity for scientists to learn more about our brains
ReplyDeleteKatelyn Reynolds Period 3
Laura Sculley(Period 3)
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the quote by Luis Bunel. If you don't remember anything from your past, then you don't have a future. Memories are what change your life and make it worth while. Clive Wearing has an extreme case of memory loss. He remembers his wife and is extremely excited to see her when she visits him, but forgets everything that has been talked about after 30 seconds at most. Wearing cannot have new memories and can't remember the old. Then there is Jill Price who has the opposite problem. She cannot forget anything that has happened in her past. She is forced to re-live moments in her past that she would like to forget. Painful memories cannot be forgotten. She remembers the death of her husband all the time and cannot forget it. Her memories do not fade over time like most of ours would.
Memory is obviously a very important factor in a persons life. Memories effect how we react to certain situations. We make mistakes in our lives and we learn from them (usually). This would not be possible without memory. Learning in general would be impossible without memory. People would lack personality without memories. As the quote said, we would be nothing without our memories.
ReplyDeleteHaving very little memory obviously effects life greatly. We saw in the video that Clive Wearing’s life is exceedingly difficult. He can’t remember anything other than his wife’s face. That is lucky. Without that, Wearing would have nothing. Everything that happened in his life before the loss of his memory has no meaning anymore. It is a very difficult life to live.
Having an extreme memory such as Jill Price would also be very devastating to someone’s life. The inability to forget bad things that have happened is detrimental to someone. The very good memory doesn’t allow Price to choose what she wants to remember and forget what she doesn’t want to remember. This is a factor that is very important in a person’s life. Too much memory effects how a person lives the rest of their life.
I am very happy with how my memory is. I like being able to forget things in my life that have affected me negatively. I also like my ability to remember things that brought me joy. This helps me in my life because I can look back at them and remember the happy feeling I felt. Memory is very important in someone’s life and should be balanced.
Mariah Winkates
Memory helps us look back on the things in the past that we have experienced like the people who we know and any event that we have had. Without memory we can never know how we know the people who we know and all of our life experiences. So I definiteley agree with the opening quote in the video. Clive Wearing can't even remember interacting with a human, and he also used to be a well known pianist. With his memory loss his musical talent is gone and his whole past is lost. When his wife leaves him to go do something, he can't even remeber seeing her. With his memory loss he has lost all of his past experiences.
ReplyDeleteJill Price's case is the complete opposite of Clive's because she can remeber everything. Jill focuses too much and the past and too little on the present and future. If I had the gift of remembering everything I would remember the positive and negative things that have happened in my life. Usually I try and not remember the negative things that have affected my life, but If I could remember all of them my life would be full of regret and denial. So remembering everything is not always a good thing to have because your mind would be focused too much on the past.
Katie Stallone, Period 3
The quote: if you cannot remember you're past you are left with nothing because the past is what makes the present. I completely agree with this quote, because all you learn and the experiences that you go through makes the person. That's why the case with Clive Wearing is so sad. Even though he still has retained the ability to play the piano, he has forgotten his past experiences and his family, this is sad. It's sad, because he isn't able to remember friends and family besides his wife, which doesn't allow his to be socially active. In addition, it's sad for the family and friends, since they have essentially lost a good friend. Further more, Clive will not be able to go through new experiences in his life. When ever he learns something, he forgets it immediately. This won't allow Clive to go through new experiences and meet new people.
ReplyDeleteJill Price’s conflict is very sad, since she is reliant on the past. She lives in the past which causes a rift in her personality, meaning she has another self. This conflict can be good in the sense that she can remember all the good in her life, but it also causes her to dwell on the negatives in her life. Jill will never be able to succeed in the future, if she can’t stop dwelling on the past.
Memory is essential for the success of individuals. It allows us to go through new experiences and learn. With out these experiences, individuals will never be able to realize self, since experiences makes a person.
Irwinpreet Singh Bagri
Period#3
We don’t realize how important memories are until we begin to lose them. Even simple things such as where we left our car keys and where the car is parked are valuable. I can’t imagine what it would be like to not remember myself or anything about my life. Memories help us grow; we learn from our mistakes but we have to remember our mistakes to be able to learn from them. The quote conveys the meaning of memories perfectly; “memory is what makes our lives.” We can’t move forward without knowing what’s behind us.
ReplyDeleteNot being able to remember anything, like Clive, is a horrible way to live. Our memories provide insight to our daily activities. Clive’s condition makes it impossible to do anything. It makes it impossible to have any sort of life at all. I can’t even imagine living like that, but if I was like Clive I wouldn’t remember anything anyway so it wouldn’t matter to me. But it would effect the lives of everyone around me.
I think remembering everything is better than not remembering anything at all. However, remembering too much is obviously very harmful to our minds. Jill can recall every bad experience she has ever had and that prevents her from healing. The saying “time heals all wounds” does not apply to her and that may prevent her from moving on from tragic events, such as her husbands death. Memories help us grow as people and provide a sense of self. Jill overanalyzes her memories because she can recall them so vividly. She finds herself living in the present and the past.
Kelly Dunn
3rd hour
The quote is so true because our life depends so much on our past experiences. It is necessary for us to take life situations and the outcomes of those situations and apply it it to our lives in the future. Without memory we would be unable to do this. Learning would not be possible and therefore, we would not be able to function.
ReplyDeleteEllen Quade
period 3
To me, it would be horrible to live a life where your memory was so short, you could only remember the last word you spoke. It is heart breaking to watch someone like Clive Wearing because he will never be able to grasp onto things like his own daughters getting married. But, at the same time, he is completely unaware that he doesn't have memory. And in that sense, living with severe memory loss may not be as bad as we think. It would only truly be frustrating if we knew that we could not remember things. However, looking at it from the point of view as someone who has a memory, I would never want to get to a point where I couldn't contain my memories. Even if I didn't know it was happening to me.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, I think Jill is almost worse off because she is completely aware of her thoughts and it affects her much more greatly. Remembering everything is a great burden because you can never sift out the things that you want to forget. In some respects, it can be considered a gift to remember so many things and hold so many memories, especially from early childhood. The things that almost everyone forgets but WANTS to remember are present and vivid. But, with the good memories come the bad ones. In order to be happy in your life, you have to be able to forget how bad things were at any point in your life.
I can't say that I would rather be in either situation because I have no idea what it would be like to forget everything or remember everything. There needs to be a balance between the two in order to have a normal and happy life.
Our memories shape our personalities. The memories that we hold with us and let go define our thoughts and feelings on a daily basis. I agree with Luis bunel’s quote and believe that memory is integral in determining who we are as people. I think memory is one of the things that make humans so uniquely different from one another. But it’s not just the memory itself, it’s how we react to it that affects us so deeply. For example, two people may experience the exact same situation, but if it sticks with one and not the other, it will have a more lasting effect on that individual then the other.
ReplyDeleteI feel like not having any recollection of the past, or the ability to dream about the future would be extremely detrimental because you literally would be defined by the exact moment that your living in. It would be almost impossible to have an emotional attachment to anything because not only can you not remember anyone that was a part of your life, but you can’t have a lasting relationship because they literally disappear from your mind as soon as they enter. Also, the ability to recall memories can cause different emotions depending on the memory, so the only possibility for feeling emotions would be if something affected you at that exact moment. The fact is you can only live in the present, and you don’t know anything else.
To be able to recall everything that ever happened in your life would be extremely frightening. There are some things that happen, and you instantly can’t wait to forget it, and eventually you do. But in this situation you are unwillingly forced to remember every minute detail of what has happened in your life. When it comes to school, the excess memory could be very convenient, but I would think that life experiences would overshadow academics. I also think that being aware of everything that happened in your life would be totally overwhelming emotionally, because memories are tied to emotions. I think this might be so much emotional and sensory overload that it could cause someone to literally go crazy.
Basically both situations are unhealthy and frightening. Memory defines our personality and if we have too much or too little, it’s almost impossible for our lives to continue normally.
Rebecca Jackson 3rd hour
The quote to me means that there are some things in your life that occur that are horrible and in order to keep on living and being happy, you need to forget those events, maybe not entirely but if you were to remember those events so vividly like Jill Price it would be excruciatingly hard to be happy. She has a very hard time coping with all the memories her brain can store, both good and bad. On the flip side, this quote is also saying that we do need memories to make our life meaningful which in turn gives us feelings and causes us to do or not do certain things. We also need to lose some memories so that we realize how important keeping certain memories are to us. In Clive Wearing’s case, he looses too much memory which causes him to only remember things for seconds and unfortunately he only remembers his wife all the time. Having too much memory effects your sense of self in a possible bad way because she cant forget the bad things in life, like the death of her husband or the remarks about her weight, to create a new and better Jill because she is constantly living in the past. But, it can also effect your sense of self in a good way because you are able to remember all the good things in life. Having not enough memory effects your sense of self in a possible bad way also because, you are constantly reliving the same moments over and over because you forget everything you’ve said almost instantly. It can also effect your sense of self in a good way because you are unable to remember extremely bad things that occur in life, such as a death.
ReplyDeleteNatalie Robertaccio Period 3
This quote is very true, memory is what makes our lives. Think about it…if you didn’t have the ability to memorize, your couldn’t live a life. Couldn’t remember what you ate, what you were thinking, what you had to do. Memory affects our reason, feelings and our actions. We base all of these acts on memory and without it, we would be nothing. And this is exactly what the quote says.
ReplyDeleteI used to think having more memory power would make life a lot more easy. You wouldn’t have to study for test or quizzes, and you could do your work with the slightest of ease. By seeing these two videos I now realize how lucky I am to have a good, but still normal memory. Clive Wearing is a very unlucky man. I has a memory span of thirty seconds or less. I would absolutely hate being like this, or even being around someone like him. It would annoying me to say the same thing over and over again. To forget everything all the time would be a horrible life. You could not go to school because their would be no point, seeing that you are going to fail at every subject. No body would hire you either because who needs someone that is going to forget their jobs as soon as you tell them. It would also be a very lonely life, because you do not know anyone. The only person Clive knew was his wife, and even she couldn’t hold a conversation with him.
Having the opposite of Clive Wearing, a unbelievable memory, would also be horrible. Like I said before, I thought having a great memory would make life easier, but for Jill Price it made life a lot harder. The more I think about it, the more it is true. A lot of people suppress memories that they are ashamed of, but if you could not hide any of your memory you would have to live with it for the rest of your life. When Jill’s husband died she could not let it go, and had to relive that experience everyday of her life. I would hate to have to do that, I can fell her pain.
- Sean McGaha (3rd Period)
Catie Wloch. Period 6.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the selected statement made by Luis Bunel. Our memories are not only our coherence, our reason, our feeling,and our actions; they are what makes us unique. Our memories make up the foundations of our lives. It is because of memories that we are able to make decisions, change our ways, and live our lives. Our memories aid us in interepreting right and wrong, as well as allow us to advance from day to day.
Remebering all and remembering nothing lie upon opposite ends of the spectrum in relation to memory. The middle ground to be found between the two is absolutely essential to a successful livelihood. We choose to remember what we do for various reasons, and sometimes we forget certain events to heal, and to avoid unbearable pain. This ability is really quite necessary for mankind.
To have our memories wiped clean would be a disasterous occurence. We would be depleted of our database, the foundation of which we pull various bits of information, and each new day would indeed begin as an absolute blank slate. We would lack the important building blocks that allow us to advance, live better and make wiser decisions.
Remembering everything would also be a disasterous condition. With each and every memory stored, the effect can be overwhelming. It would indeed be very difficult to concentrate and separate each memory in order to make various choices in our daily lives. This would cause complete chaos, and could potentially cause an individual great pain and frustration.
I agree with the quote that says we would be nothing without our memories. I can't imagine not being able to remember something that happened only seconds ago. Our past definitely makes us who we are. Without memories of the people we know and the things that we have done, we wouldn't have an identity. It would also be very hard for the loved ones of someone who was constantly forgetting. But then again, if you constantly were forgetting, you probably wouldn't realize what was going on anyway, so it's hard to determine how that person would feel about it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it would be that bad remembering everything as long as you learned not to dwell on it. People still have hurtful memories that will always stick with them even if they don't remember everything in detail. If you could remember everything, you could also remember in detail all the good things that have happened in your life and always keep the memories that were special to you. I wish I remembered more things about my life in detail because I feel like I lose part of who I am every time my memories get more vague. I think most people would agree that they would like to remember more things about their loved ones, especially the ones that have passed away.
-Clara M. p6
Both no memory and too much memory are terrible concepts. No memory would be so disorienting and difficult because we haven't been shaped from past experiences,learned from mistakes, etc. We would have no ability to compare or contrast, as we have no memory of better or worse times. The inability to recall information would no only be irritating, but potentially heartbreaking. To not remember a loved one, a wonderful day, or any positive experience would be so difficult. The quote is spot on in saying that "life without memory is no life at all". We are who we are because our past has helped us shape and grow to the people we are today. With no memory of the past, we simply cannot form a strong sense of self or personality, as we have no recollection of the good times and the bad.
ReplyDeleteHaving too much memory would also be a terrible experience. While in contrast to no memory we would be able to recall positive, happy times, we would also recall what we may wish to forget. Obviously, certain devastating experiences cannot be easily forgotten even to the average memory-able person, remembering every single bad experience would be dreadful. That would be such a burden to carry every bad experience on your shoulders. Sometimes life requires us to "forgive and forget", but will too much memory, we lose the ability to do so. One with too much memory, like one with no memory, would probably lack a strong, impacting personality. While they have learned from previous experiences, the dread of old, dark memories may haunt them too much. They may be incapable of opening up, with such shadows of the past bearing down upon them. Thus, too much memory is just as terrible as no memory. With either no experience, or "too much" experience, we can lose our sense of self, and instead of growing into a strong, independent person, we are more likely to become a hermit- to burdened with our mental memory struggles to break free and grow.
Ellen Groble
6th Hour
Before reading that quote and watching those to movies I realize how important memory truly is to our sense of self and identity. Memory helps us live our lifes to the fullest, it gives us an important history that we can remember but also the ability to forget painful memories.We are able to move on from the past and look forwards with hope of a brighter future.
ReplyDeleteThe man with the loss of memory every minute or even seconds creates a feeling of a lost connection with other people in his world at the present time. I think it is very sad that he can't even remember his own children or his childhood.
The problems with remembering everying like Jill is that she is unable to let things go. She can't loose any sad or horrible mememories that can cause pain to relive everyday. She said living with this rare talent can be paralyzing because she feels like she feels trapped in the past, and that is holding her back from living happily and without worry in the present.Thus, she has a hard time living with her self-image, because time can't heal her wounds, she will always remember.
Jayne Jaderholm 6th hour
The opening quote says that our world is only what we percieve and if we cant store perceptions then we cant ever have a life. That appears to be the case in the first video where the guy has massive amnesia. I dont understand how the wife can live with him cause that would be a pain. However, she could tell him how her day was 100 times and still get a legit reaction from her husband, which is kinda cool. It would be good to look at each special person's brain and record the similarities and differences. In Jill's brain there was an enlargement of something which was also the case with OCD people. That is wierd. She should so be a superhero. I feel sorry for both of these people because they can't have normal lives.-----kevin korus 6
ReplyDeleteMemory is in delicate balance in average people. It balances between two extremes, both of which can be detrimental to our health. In an average person the brain filters our memories and experiences. This allows us to avoid paralysis and move forward, forgetting unnecessary information and things which could hold us back. Clive is not able to move forward in life because he is unable to retain information long enough to use it. Jill, on the other hand, cannot forget the useless information and she feels paralyzed as a result. Our brains seek to avoid clatter and disorganized thinking. This enables us to perform at our optimum level.
ReplyDeleteLearning is closely tied into this as well; we retain information that we have learned over time and that which we pay most attention to. This is another example of the organization and balance system at work in the brain.
Trevor Thiess, 6th Period
This quote really illustrates the importance of memory in our development as a person. Another point made by this quote is that we often take advantage of our memories until it is too late. People with Alzheimer's often find this the hardest part of their disorder; the fact that they are aware of their memories but are not capable of remembering them.
ReplyDeleteThe case of Clive Wearing is different in the sense that he isn't even aware of anything around him. Even when you attempt to bring him up to date, he will forget what you are saying long before you finish saying it. The situation would be very difficult for his family members because Clive lives in a world of "ignorant bliss," he isn't cognizant of his misfortune. For his family, not only are they dealing with his disability, but they have to deal with it without him there because the only person he remembers is his wife.
The polar opposite of Clive, Jill can remember every aspect of every moment of her life. At first this seems like an interesting capability and even something we would hope to attain. However, it becomes apparent that this "gift" of Jill's is much more of a handicap for her. Not only does she remember everything, but she also holds grudges and emotional attachment to old items. Part of developing as a person is moving past certain things as well as forgetting them. Because Jill can't forget, she develops differently than most other people. She cannot move past unfortunate encounters. IF used as a gift or even in a less severe form, this would be a major advantage to Jill, instead of the detriment it has become.
Joey Gallagher
Psychology 6th Hour
I agree that without memory we are just a shell of who we really are. We might look the same but the things that make who we are would be lost. Our memories make up our personality because our experiences are what define as a person. If we had no memories there would be a good thing and a bad thing. The bad thing is we would lose the very thing that makes us who we are our personality and we wouldn’t remember our family or friends. The only good thing we wouldn’t remember what we have lost or forgotten. On the flip side if we could remember everything clearly and vividly there would still be good and bad things. For instance you could remember all the friends you have made and all the good times you had which would be awesome. The bad part you would also remember all the bad things that happened in your life like losing a close family member or some traumatic event in your life
ReplyDeletelast one was by tim satterlee 6th hour I agree that without memory we are just a shell of who we really are. We might look the same but the things that make who we are would be lost. Our memories make up our personality because our experiences are what define as a person. If we had no memories there would be a good thing and a bad thing. The bad thing is we would lose the very thing that makes us who we are our personality and we wouldn’t remember our family or friends. The only good thing we wouldn’t remember what we have lost or forgotten. On the flip side if we could remember everything clearly and vividly there would still be good and bad things. For instance you could remember all the friends you have made and all the good times you had which would be awesome. The bad part you would also remember all the bad things that happened in your life like losing a close family member or some traumatic event in your life
ReplyDeleteWhen Luis Bunel said, "memory is what makes our lives, life without memory is no life at all" he was right. After seeing these two extremes in memory, it is evident that memory is an integral part of who we are. If we cannot remember what has happened to us or the people we know and love, we cannot remember the basic things that make us who we are.
ReplyDeleteClive Wearing couldn't even remember what was said seconds earlier. The only person he remembers is his wife. She is the only thing he can use to anchor his sense of self. He couldn't remember his children, his past, or what people told him. I think living this way would be very difficult. You would always need someone to help remind you to do something or where to go. I think that it is also very sad for his wife and kids to watch Clive, and realize he cannot remember who you are, even though you meant alot to him when he could remember.
On the other hand, Jill Price could remember everything. I think this would be pretty cool and very helpful. In school, you could read something once and get perfect scores on everything. You could remember everything that is important to you. However I can see that even though it is a blessing it is also a curse. You would have to live with intense memories about things you might rather forget.
These cases show the amazing capabilities of our memories, but I think I would rather have a normal memory. I can live in the present, but still remember important people and things.
Emily Rappleye
Period 6
It is true; life would have no meaning on existing in life. Memories make life for who we are and what we remember. The memories that live with us forever are what we remember the most and have impacted our lives. It is because memories remind us about what we went through in life. Either good or bad, we will remember the basics of it. Unlike Clive Wearing, he suffers from no memory. In the video while talking to his wife, he greets her every few minutes as if he is meeting her again when she has been there the whole time. With this disorder, it is hard to live with and holds no true value to live. Memories remind us of the events we have gone through in life and it is what moves us forward in life as we go through each passing day. On the other hand, Jill Price cannot lose any bits of memory. She is so good at remembering information, that she even remembers the exact day and year of the occurrence. This by far is productive than Clive’s disorder, but not forgetting anything can have its downfalls. Because you will be stuck with mixed emotions and thoughts in the past that you may never be able to forget about it and move on in the future. Also Jill’s husband passed away recently and never forgetting his death would be depressing as you would always remember the exact date and everything.
ReplyDeleteJeffrey Moy
I agree with the idea that too much memory or none at all is a bad thing. A number of other people before me also agree with what Luis Bunel said about our memories making us who we are. The world seems to be a chaotic place as it is. Without any recollection of memories, we would be doomed to repeat our mistakes eternally. Our memories are not just there to fill up our mind with good and bad thoughts, they are also there to act as a guide in which it lets us know of possible present outcomes compared to the events we experienced in the past. Every one of us would be a completely different person every day without our ability to encode experiences we had into what we call memories. I don't know where I would be without my memories.
ReplyDeleteThe ability to pick up every single little detail into our memories sounds cool and very useful at first glance. It almost seems like some amazing abitlity out of a Jason Bourne movie that I would like to have but after some careful thought the long run would carry terrible stress and bad times. I think it's crucial that we should be able to bury bad thoughts or unwanted material from our minds. After watching the video with the woman that can remember miniscule details that date back to the eighties I can't help but wonder how much stress and turmoil that causes her. I can only imagine how mind-racking that would be to try and maintain countless thoughts and feelings flying around your head all at once. That's why we need to have a balance of not too much and not too little. Being at any end of the spectrum is unhealthy for the human mind regardless of the scenario. I would like to stay just where I'm at with my memories as of now so I can't complain.
John Boznos
Period 3
I agree with the quote and I believe that without Memory, we may as well be emotionless. It is those memories we hold close and cheerish, it is those memories we reflect on inspire us, it is those memories that allow us to growing lasting friendships and relationships, it is those memories that make us who we are. Clive Wearing has the worst recorded amnesia and can only remember things at around 15-30 seconds at a time. I can't even imagine being able to live like that. It is nearly impossible to do basic tasks, take care of ones self, take part in meaningful friendships and relationships. Life would be terrible and although Clive doesn't realize exactly what is going on, just the thought of living a life such as that is very sad and I really feal bad for him. On the other hand, remembering to much is also something I would struggle to live with. Every detail, every pain staking detail of your life would be difficult to undergoe on a daily basis. There are somethings in our lives we would like to forget yet the lady remember everything is vast detail. I would be a very worried and unhappy person if I was stuck with the memories of the past that may not be to my liking. While being able to remember major and minor events in our lives, especially of those we care for the most would be great. I can see where choices in your past may not be what you wanted and that you could have chosen a different route yet instead your stuck with yourself, your life, your choices, constantly haunting. This is why the "average" or "normal" human brain of memory is a happy medium.
ReplyDelete- Cory Pianetto -
Period 1
I agree with the quote by Luis Bunel. Memories shape us into the people we are. The way we act and live our lives is all taken from previous experiences. Past experiences form our identities, and without memories I don't think you can live a real life.
ReplyDeleteClive Wearing lives everyday exactly the same. He can't hold onto a single memory. Clive has no sense of who he is because the only person he can recognize is his wife. He has no idea what is happening with his children's lives. Every time his wife tells him something he forgets it by the time she starts another sentence. His lack of memory causes him to live a life of little meaning.
On the other hand, Jill Price remembers every detail of her life. She lives her life in the past and can't concentrate as much on the present. Thoughts about her past continue to drive her crazy and make her upset. This issue is stopping her from living a fulfilling life because she constantly has to deal with problems from her past since they can't escape her memory.
Both having no memory and too much memory would prevent someone from living their life to the fullest. As the quote says, "without memory we are nothing."
Allison Beveridge
Period 1
I would have to agree with Luis Bunel. I think that by losing parts of our memories we can begin to realize how important our memories are. With out our memories we could never have emotions, and so much of our lives are recalling memories.
ReplyDeleteWith the case of Clive Wearing’s extreme memory loss, he can remember only one person and has no clue about the family he raised. Other than to be a case study Clive can’t do any jobs. While on the other hand there is Jill Price who never forgets her memories. Jill remembers everything from her childhood. The one big thing that I noticed between Clive and Jill is happiness. Jill kind of came off to me as being very stressed, while Clive came off as very happy. With Jill’s unhappiness came stress and weight gain. The thing that plagues Jill is she remembers the bad times and she can’t forget them, while it seems that Clive’s life is always filled with happiness and he can’t recall his bad memories. So the perfect balance is in the middle of the two, able to forget the unimportant parts of live while being able to remember what is important to us.
Micah Koenig
P. 6
Sarah Goes-Platz 1st hour
ReplyDeleteI agree with this quote. Our memories make us who we are. We learn alot from our past experiences. Memories let us keep our friendships, laughs, and loves close to our hearts forever. WIthout these precious moments we would not know how to live a normal life.
Having no memeory like Clive Wearing would be devastating. I would feel alone in a world without memoires. He couldn't remember anyone except his wife. I love having people that love me around all the time. But to clive it would just be a room of strangers. Clive had no sense of self in his world. He wasnt aware of where he was, who he was with, or any information whatsoever. Clive Wearing would never be able to live his life to the fullest.
On the other hand Jill Price remembers everything that has everything that has ever happened down to the time and date. Jill really understands herself as a person. She has the advantage of being able to relive some of the happiest moments of her life as if they happened that day. But she also has to carry the burden of remembering traumatic life experiences that have really changed her. Such a life would be alot of stress on the body. our bodies naturally repress some memories because it is too much stress in the body and can lead to dangerous affects. Jill will have to live with those memories forever and carry depressing moments from her teenage years to her adult years.
Having no memory and having too much memory are both harmful to the person’s mental state and their relationships with others. Cliff Wearing, who cannot remember more than 30 seconds, can only remember his wife. Consequently, he is unable to build new relationships. He is unable to carry on a normal conversation. Someone can be talking to him, but after a matter of seconds, he forgets what is going on, and has to start all over again. He also cannot learn anything new because he will forget a few seconds later, so he has to continue to have the same thoughts, opinions, and basic personality that he had before his illness struck. Cliff is unable to grow as a person because he cannot remember and learn from the past, and can only live in the present.
ReplyDeleteJill Price, on the other hand, is also unable to grow as a person, but for completely different reasons. She remembers everyone and everything, including every single time someone has wronged her in the past, and she is unable to ever forget what they did. Average people are able to edit and forget these hurtful memories, and move on, but Jill remembers everything vividly. It’s like she has a flashbulb memory for every single moment of her life because of her abnormally large region in the brain that is associated with OCD.
For those reasons, I agree with the Luis Bunel quote because memory is a good thing, and generally people don’t know a good thing until it’s gone. Cliff, having almost no memory, seems to have a very dry personality, but when his wife, his only memory, shows up, he is incredibly thrilled to see her and shows great appreciation for this memory. However, Jill, remembering everything, cannot appreciate memory because she has never forgotten anything. She sees memory as more of a burden because she has to constantly relive her past.
-Karen Hays, period 6
Having no memory at all or having too much can affect a person severely. These two extreme cases of memory do not let people live a normal life.
ReplyDelete“...life without memory is no life at all...” Clive Wearing is a perfect example of this quote. Constrained by his inability to remember, he is unable to become an individual. He relives everyday making his life very empty. Without memory, he is unable to learn from his mistakes and build on his knowledge. Clive cannot connect with other people because he forgets what is being said to him within 30 seconds. We experience many memorable events in our lives, some pleasant and others not so pleasant, however, these are the memories that shape our personalities and who we are as people. Clive lacks this ability making him have nothing to look back on or anything to look forward to. He is not living life, he is just going through the motions routinely.
Jill Price, on the other hand, is haunted by her past, having too many memories. She is almost unable to live in the present because she is stuck in the past. I think being able to remember everything would be very helpful for school purposes, however, it can be very harmful to a person's mental health. Jill can recall every single thing that has ever occured in her life. She is unable to repress any memories, even if she would like to, causing her to become emotionally unstable. Jill, just like Clive, cannot live life to the fullest because she is constantly reminded by the joyful and traumatizing memories of her past.
Agata Glowacka
Period 1
Memory shapes who you are. Your memory of experiences create your personality and give you your identity. Without your memory then I believe you would be lost. We need to remember what went well and what failed so we can expand on that next time and change our approach. We use our past memories to make present decisions. So, memory strongly effects who we are today. Clive Wearing had no memory and would forget things within 7-30 seconds. Thus, he was living in a very short moment of the present. This would be very difficult because you would not be able to interact socially with people very well. Also, you would not be very aware of your life and like the quote said you would definitely be missing coherence, reason, feeling, and action. You would be very confused and lost if you had no memory.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, too much memory can be bad also. Sometimes, in life it is important to be able to forget moments in order to heal and move on. However, if you remembered everything then you would have to live with that pain each day. Never being able to forget it. Just like Jill Price who can remember her husband’s death as if it was just that day. If you never forget anything then in a way you are living a double life,both the past and the present, because you are unable to separate them. Jill Price struggles with this because she can’t ever forget anything and also has trouble with coherence, feeling and action like Clive Wearing but because she has too much memory. Either way memory is very important and not something that I would want to be impaired.
Amy Madden 6th hr
Our memories are integrated into our sense of self because without them we are emotionless. We do not feel for what we do not know. Yet with too much memory we become cynical because we can recall all the terrible times that we’ve been through and are always living in the past. When Clive was being told about his children he did not react at all, it did not even phase him because he had no emotional ties to them. Something that would be a generally joyous moment for most people does not stir even as much as a smile for Clive because he has no memory of them at all. This directly ties to the quote from Luis Bunel, proving his point. Jill also proves Luis' point because in her retention of all her memories she has been unable to truly define herself. She proves that our memories are who we are and that when we don't forget some, we are constantly remembering and are unable to live in the present. Both Clive and Jill find themselves in a unique situation, where as most people are defined by their personalities, Clive and Jill are defined by their memory.
ReplyDelete~Basil Sabbak 3rd hour
I agree with the quotes that having a life with no memory is no life at all. I personally feel that if you do not have a memory you do not have a sense of self. Every moment and event in our life shapes us and builds our character and makes us who we are today. Without having a sense of our past I feel that one would be truly lost. I feel very bad for Clive Wearing. It was hard for me to watch him forget such important things in his life such as his loved ones. It breaks my heart. Also after watching Jill Price I began to also feel that having too much of a memory may not be a good thing. Jill has a very special gift of memory but it also seems like a huge burden. Jill is so caught up in the events of her past that she is emotionally trapped there. I feel that if we dwell in the past we will never more forward.
ReplyDeleteI think that both of the cases are very important and vital to the study of memory and maybe studying Jill doctors can find a way to keep others memories as vital as hers.
-Allison O'Connell
I agree with the fact that without our memories, we wouldn't be who we are today. Our memories are what shapes us as human beings. So much of who we are today has to do with our past and background, and without knowledge of our previous experiences, we would just be a blank slate. We wouldn't be able to have normal relationships with others without our memory.
ReplyDeleteIn the case with Clive, it's tragic to see how he'll never be able to have proper relationships with anyone since every time he sees someone after a short period of time, he acts like he hasn't seen them in a long time. Clive cannot function like a normal human being without memories. Having too little memories would be terrible in the sense that you wouldn't be able to function properly.
On the other end, having too much memory would a terrible thing too because you would pick apart your past to an extent that no one else would, since most people cannot remember every single detail of our past. If something bad happens to us, we get upset, but we eventually move on. In the case with Jill, she can remember things very precisely over such a long extent of time. Eventually dwelling over the past would destroy you since you can't change your past, yet you can remember it so vividly. It would be frustrating to remember too much, because you would live in the past instead of focusing on the future.
-Melvina S.
1st period
I agree with this quote. Really a "life without memory is no life at all", yeah you will be able to experience things in the moment, but you can't go back and reflect on them which really makes you cherish them. You would never really know who you are without them because you wouldn't know anything that happened in your life or how you as a person make decisions or act towards people. I'm sure you would feel totally alone because you wouldn't be able to socialize with people if you can't even remember what is going on. I feel really bad for his wife because she can't have real conversations with him it's all a waste of time because he won't remember.
ReplyDeleteI feel even worse for Jill. I've always thought that remembering everything would be really convenient, but I never realized that it would make you miserable. I would never be able to handle remembering every single decision I made my whole life because I'm sure there will be things I will regret. Or never being able to get over things and having to always live with the pain would be unbearable.
These videos really show how there needs to be a balance with memory about how much we remember and how much we need to forget.
Alyssa Wahl 6 th hour
I agree with the quote and the quote is reinforced with the first video about Clive. Clive cannot finish a sentence without forgetting what is being said. One would be completely lost, because without memory you wouldn't have a past, you wouldn't be concious of the present, and couldn't grasp the idea of future. The second video is just as interesting. Jill is able to remember everything. I would prefer to remember everything over nothing, but Jill lives a difficult life. There is a saying that time heals all wounds, but not for her. She always remembers exactly how and when things happened. She states she almost lives in the present and the past. It would be exhausting to be in her shoes, but at least she can understand her condition unlike Clive, who cannot learn to deal with his disability like Jill.
ReplyDeleteDan N P 1
I think the videos were very interesting it was "neat" to see two far ends of the spectrum when your dealing with memory. It was interesting to see how Clive could not function in a conversation because as soon as he began to talk like Dan said he would already forget what was being discussed and even what he had just finished saying. And on the other hand Jills condition was cool to see because she was able to remember everything and she is lucky enough to be able to some what deal with the problem she has but Clive cant because he would forget right away.
ReplyDelete-Brianna P.1
I agree that without memory, we would have no meaning. We live our lives based on memories, and that's the only way to learn new things. Without being able to remember something that happened in the past, it's almost impossible to live your life. I can't imagine what it would be like to only live in the present and not even remember the question that was just asked to you. It would be strange to fell how Clive feels, by only living in the present. He has no idea of his condition but at the same time must think nothing is wrong with him.
ReplyDeleteI can also see why having too much memory would be a disadvantage. After hearing Jill recall little details from certain dates and knowing everything that happened exactly a year ago, it didn't sound like a bad thing until she said that she can't help reliving terrible things that happened in the past. To be flooded with memories of mistakes she made can't be brushed off and forgotten about. She has to deal with remembering and reliving past events over and over which must be extremely overwhelming.
Laura Schweizer
1st hour
I think the quote about memory is completely true. We live because of our past, and they are the reason we grow and learn. Without memories we don’t have a future. Clive Wearing is a great example of how memory loss can affect one’s life. He can only remember his wife and nothing else. He loves seeing her, but he only has the memory of a couple of seconds.
ReplyDeleteThen there is Jill Price, who has the exact opposite problem. She cannot forget anything that happened in her past. Because of this, she focuses on the past and not enough on the present and future. She cannot succeed in the future unless she stops living in the past. Both Clive and Jill have major problems with their memories, and this causes them to not live a normal life.
David Poetz
Per. 6
The quote reminds me of a show called Dollhouse. Basically people’s memories are erased and they are downloaded with new personalities for a certain need of a client. The people are stored in a facility when not in use and they are a hollow shell, there’s nothing to them, a blank slate. Without memories we are nothing, just walking meat sacks. Too little memory or memory loss is a problem because you loss who you are. It’s just like old people getting alzheimers, their relatives can tell you that they are just not the same when a disease like that takes old of someone. The problem of too much memory is often over shadowed by memory loss because people want better memory, a photographic memory, but people don’t realize that you’d be constantly living in the past. This is why people have a balance of the two a perfect mix that makes us who we are. -John O'Dea per. 6
ReplyDeleteI agree with the quote because our memory makes us who we are. without the past memories we have nothing to help make the future ones. without it then we are left with an emptyness of everything in our lives. In Clive Wearings case he has no memory of anything besides his wife having memory life effected his life in so many ways. We see how he only has a few seconds of rememberence before he forgets all over again. He thinks everytime his wife leaves the room and comes back that she was gone for awhile and just re arrived. Its sad thinking that this could happen to any of us. Then Jill Price who has all the memory in the world. She cant forget anything that has happened to her. This is a challenge for her because she cant stop reliving the past that takes up her life. Having no memory and having too much memory are two extremes that would be very difficult to live with and would be hard not able to live normal lives.
ReplyDeletepaige olis- 1st hour
Our lives run off memories and past experiences. Everything we know comes from past experiences and remember information we have learned. You basically don’t have a life if you can’t remember any of it. Not only that, but memories influence our opinions and personalities. People are who they are because of all the memories. In the case of Wearing, life would be boring. We would continue to do the same things over and over again without realizing. We would be a very unproductive and un-functional society as a whole. On the other hand, if we were burdened by knowing everything that happened every day of our life, I think it would drive us mad. Everyone says something mean at some point of their life, even to a good friend, but if you couldn’t ever forget it after you made up with that friend, no one would trust anyone.
ReplyDeleteJon Furmanski
1st Period
Memory is an integral part of oneself, it is what defines us as ourselves. Without memory we have no identity because, without memory, that which has made us who we are is gone.
ReplyDeleteClive Wearings is a prime example of this. With only knowing who his wife is and not remembering anything beyond thirty seconds prior his growth as a person has become stagnant. Without memory he cannot change.
Jill Price on the other hand would have a difficult time changing because remembering everything you've ever experienced would be overwhelming. Remembering each moment would catch a person up and everyday would feel extraordinarily long. Also, eventually, nothing will be or feel new anymore.
Connor Thompson
6th Period
I think the opening quote is a great testament to the power of memory. We are who we are because of our experiences in the past. As with many other things in life, it's difficult to see the importance of memory until we are denied of it. It's something that many people take for granted. I think Clive Wearings is fascinating. I don't know what it would feel like to live entirely in the present moment. I think that at first glance it would be amusing. When you think about it, though, one wouldn't have an identity. I enjoy being able to refelct on the past. We learn from past mistakes.
ReplyDeleteJill Price shows us how forgetting can be good. She lives every day with memories of the most miniscule details of her life, both the good and the bad. Repression is one of the ego's defense mechanisms, but she is unable to forget anything. Living her life would be very confusing for me. Both of these videos demonstrate the importance of a "happy medium" in your memory recollection.
Lauren Nelson
6th hour
I do believe that the opening quote is true-we are our memories. Our memories tell us who/what we love, hate, are passionate about, what we did yesterday...the list goes on. Without memories, we would just be bodies, our memories are part of what makes us inherently human. Our moral system is based off of memory as well, which further proves that memory, and the expression of that memory, is a human quality.
ReplyDeleteIf you did not have a memory, and were forced to live entirely in the present, you would have no sense of self, no identity. Clive Wearings is a perfect example of this- he only knows his wife, and none of his other relations. Even as hes answering a question, he forgets the question that was asked in the first place. While he doesn't know that he is in this situation, I still feel very bad for him; memories are something that everyone cherishs, and they are essential to function in daily life.
On the flip side, there is Jill Price. Price can remember absolutely everything, which I think (and she seems to agree) would be utterly exhausting, never being able to forget small insults, or the pain of her husband passing away. She shows us that our memeories can be prtotective- we tend to dull the memories that are upsetting to us, and remember the ones that are beneficial to us. Forgetting certain things is part of the mind's defense mechanism-we were built the way we were for a reason.
-Caroline Gaffrig
6th hour
Kate Hasse
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
I agree with Luis Bunel. Life is not worth living if you have no memory or too much. Living is about experiences, relationships, and developing as a person. People who remember everything and people who don’t remember anything can’t have any of these. For example, a person without memory can’t remember anyone or anything about themselves or what they are doing. This person in my mind can almost be compared to a vegetable. They can’t remember what they are doing long enough to gain a relationship with a person or develop. Same with a vegetable. A vegetable can’t make a relationship or have a personality. Also by forgetting things almost instantly like Clive Wearing, he has no memories of his past. Without these, any experiences he has had are gone. On the other hand if you remember everything about your past experiences, how can you make new ones? You are stuck living in the past. For instance, Jill Price is constantly remembering things exactly from her past. Each day she can recall a full day she has had many years ago. This means that Jill is struggling to develop as a person because she is stuck in the past. Although she was able to make relationships, once they were lost, so was her ability to befriend someone. Jill has to deal with situations from years ago as if they were happening in the present. This means she is still trying to figure out problems from when she was 12 years old. This limits the new experiences Jill can make. She won’t experience love again because she is still experiencing her husband’s death years ago. Her ability to grow and change who she is as a person is now gone. Like Luis Bunel states “memory is our coherence, our reason, our feeling, even our action, without it, we are nothing…” We need just the right amount of memory to live life. No more and no less.
I definitely agree with the quote that memory is essential for living a productive life. Without our memories, we are unable to take our past experiences into consideration when looking at the future. Without memories, you can not move forward. Such is the case with Clive Wearing. He is unable to remember anything after a minute, and as a result he acts as if nothing has happened between the last moment he remembers and the present--as if there has been a huge time lapse or something.
ReplyDeleteMemory, or lack thereof, can also help preserve our sanity. By preserving happy memories or memories that we have learned lessons from and expelling those memories that we do not wish to recall, we are able to derive our existance from things that we appreciate, not things that we regret. Jill Price is unable to forget any of her memories, and as a result she constantly has to cope with reliving every joyful moment in her life as well as every painful one. It is very difficult to live with horrible memories pounding down on your back at all times because you can not supress them.
Like the quote says, memory is vital for life. Not enough memory can prevent us from living in the present and future, and too much memory keeps us forever in the past and unable to move on as well.
Sarah Khalil 1st Hour
I agree that memory is essential. Life is creating the experiences to make memories and there needs to be a certain balance between remembering and forgetting. Clive Wearing does not remember anything for long periods of time, he lives in the present. Living like this makes it hard for him to move forward with his life because he really has nowhere to go. Every moment is new to him. But to Jill Price, every moment creates a memory and is not forgotten.. ever. Her memory is unforgiving, she has to deal with everything that has ever happened to her everyday of her life. Her life is sometimes painful because she isn't able to forget anything or put in the past. Her memories are always haunting her. Everyone needs a balance of memory. A very fine line between forgetting and remembering needs to be established to live a healthy life. Not too much remembering but not forgetting everything.
ReplyDeleteAlexis Buchel 1st hour
Living life with an inabilitly to recall information would be tragic. Memories are important to us because they help us learn from our mistakes and our successes. The quote by Luis Bunel is very applicable to everybody's lives. At the same time, there is a balance between the strength of our memory and the amount of information that we forget that lets us live in peace. The man in the first video seemed to be very content with his life and always excited to see his wife, but he misses out on so many other important things. He is completely dependent on others and has lost meaningful connections with his loved ones. The woman in the second video has a unique gift that seemed very desirable, until one remembers all of the bad memories that would come with such a powerful brain. By never being able to forget, one would become preoccupied, if not obsessed, with the past. The balance between lack of memory and extreme memory is important to determine how we may carry on throughout our lives.
ReplyDelete--Matt W. p.1
Luis Bunil is completely right in the way he describes memory. Memory shapes how we think and which in turn shapes us as human beings so without memory you are an empty shell void of thought and the ability of simple conversational comprehension.
ReplyDeleteHaving the memory condition of either of the two subjects would be an extreme ordeal to have to deal with. In the case of the woman in the second video, I think that if that condition had been diagonoised on a person who a had a very positive outlook on life from birth, than having unlimited memory wouldnt be as tourturous as she explains it to be.
Dan Arnold
Not being able to let things go is a bad thing overall. You will never forget the bad experiences in your life that you always wished that you can forget. On the other hand, it can be a slightly good thing becasue you will never forget a face or person you meet, but that is very low on the scale compared to the bad side to it. Not having memories at all is pretty much not living becasue without memories, you are just a shell. Sure other people will have memories of you, but without having them youself, you can not begin to live a full life.
ReplyDeleteAlec Riefenberg, 1
I strongly agree with the statement that life with no memory is no life at all. I can not imagine trying to go about everyday life without remembering what I have learned or what I have experienced. Remembering every single thing you have ever experienced, on the other hand, would get a little tiring. I believe everything you have experienced up to today has shaped you into the person you are, and without memory of those things, you won't have a true personality and live your life.
ReplyDeleteElle Woodall hour 1