Do memories still exist even if we forget them? Do they still exist somewhere within us, shaping who we are in ways we don't realize, or are they truly gone? by Elise Chamberlin

Maggie Brenner

25brennerm — 2024-09-27 13:37:05 UTC

I think memories still exist within us whether we remember them or not. Sometimes memories come back to us even though we haven't thought about it in weeks, months, or maybe even years. People are a collection of every person they've met, place they've been, and experience they've had. Whether you remember them or not, memories still shape us everyday.

Alanna Robinson

2024-09-27 13:37:52 UTC

I think memories still exist even if we forget them because in traumatic situations or through facilitated recall we can remember things we had previously forgotten. I think they do still affect us because they affected our memories after so they essential create a base for the other memories to build on.

Logan Schwang

2024-09-27 13:38:37 UTC

Forgotten do in some way shape who you are, but they do so more indirectly than ones that have not been forgotten. Past actions will be shaped by those forgotten memories because the memories had not yet been forgotten. Then future actions will be shaped by those past actions, making future decisions shaped by forgotten memories even though we may not know why we made the decision that we did.

alliyah rounce

25rouncea — 2024-09-27 13:40:15 UTC

I believe that memories are like stories. The more you talk about them the less likelihood that they are forgotten. I think that our memories have an effect on us but not as significant as our morals. For example, you would remember how someone would make you feel after they made a comment about you or someone else and make you reevaluate if you want to be friends with them. They both play a part but one is more important than the other.

Haley

25nesbith — 2024-09-27 13:40:49 UTC

I think that memories shape a person's identity, so they always exist even after they are forgotten. The experiences that we have in life which create our personal memories impact the way we view the world and ourselves. For example, a positive memory from childhood could evoke the same happy feeling when it resurfaces, even if we can't place a finger on the specific experience. In this same way, our memories shape who we are, how we act, and how we see things in the world. Memories are never truly forgotten.

Serena

2024-09-27 13:40:56 UTC

I think that once memories are forgotten, they are gone for good unless you have artifacts which carry the memories or other people to share the memory. This also brings in the question of what "forgotten" is but if they are stored but can be remembered then they aren't truly forgotten. I think that once no sentiments can be recalled is when memories are gone for good.

Josh

25plantej — 2024-09-27 13:41:40 UTC

I think memories do exist even after they've been forgotten. This is why we often remember things as a result of experiences or things we see. The concept of deja vu could be the brain recalling a memory that had been forgotten, and is therefore vague, but is in some way connected to a current situation. Of course even if something is not remembered, someone is shaped through their experiences, and even if it is not realized, forgotten memories do affect a person.

Will

2024-09-27 13:41:41 UTC

Memories still exist within us even if we don't remember them. The experiences you have shape your personality, even if you don't realize or remember it. For example, suppressed childhood trauma isn't actively remembered by people when they grow up, but it still affects them. You learn things that stay with you, even if you don't remember where they come from. I could tell you the multiplication tables even though I don't remember learning them.

Ellie Chamberlin

25chamberline — 2024-09-27 13:41:43 UTC

Memories do still exist within us whether we remember them or not because they impact how we react at the time, meaning they can shape your personality or actions. Memories can come back to you at random times so they are not always completely forgotten.

Mrs. Rose

alr2 — 2024-09-27 13:42:01 UTC

This prompt reminds me of the dystopian novel The Giver. The whole premise of their world is actually based on erasing people's memories as a way to control society; therefore, one person is tasked with keeping all the memories of the world. This job is based down to a chosen person who them trains with the previous Giver to hold all the memories. Obviously, the main character of the novel, Jonas, is given this job which changes his life forever. If you haven't read this book, I would highly recommend it. As you can see from the picture, it was made into a movie a while ago. The movie does a good job of highlighting the key elements of their society and the basic plotline, but unfortunately, it veers too much from the novel itself.

Sam Harbst

2024-09-27 13:42:03 UTC

If you do not remeber a specific event, then that memory does not exist to your conscious mind. While your brain may still technically have that memory somehow stored in your brain, not being able to actively recall it renders the memory functionally nonexistent. It also may be difficult to truly know if you have forgotten a memory or not, as knowing you cannot remember something still implies that you can recognize it. Thus, there are probably many memories in all of our minds that are waiting to be awakened by a specific sight, taste, or smell that reminds us of an earlier time in our lives.

Logan Sokolofsky

2024-09-27 13:42:11 UTC

I believe that memories have a way of shaping who we are whether we know it or not. I think that memories and physical experiences go hand in hand and it is the same concept for both. This concept is that although you may not remember every memory or experience, even the forgotten ones have the power to shape our future and how we behave and who we are. Just because you forget does not mean it was not worth remembering and you will always have that memory somewhere within you, just watch Inside Out.