Hiba Kathawala Week 16: If You Could Choose to Erase a Memory, Would You?
If You Could Choose to Erase a Memory, Would You?
Credit: https://www.livescience.com/44160-erasing-unconscious-bad-memories.html
If you could choose to erase a memory, would you?
Memories are marks of successes, failures, and everything in between. Ranging from small everyday habits, to life changing moments, memories are a safe of self-understanding we can pull from to learn and improve as humans. However, like recalling happy memories makes us feel good, remembering sad or painful memories can create unpleasant emotions and remind us of things we would rather forget.
Even though I have many unhappy memories of my own, I would not choose to erase them because of the lessons I learned from them. Each bad thing that we go through is a step toward something better; regardless of whether or not an experience is positive or negative, there is always something to gain from them.
Hard experiences, and painful memories are often what distinguish individuals from each other. They provide unique learning experiences that shape our characters and morals, and help us become who we are. Sometimes, remembering unpleasant memories can even motivate us to do better in our work, or be better as a person.
For example, an unhappy experience I had to go through when I was younger, was having to quit a sport due to an injury. Though my memories of this time contain the sadness, and disappointment I felt at the time, it also taught me resilience. I learned that it was okay to switch paths when things don’t go as planned, and this ideology has shaped who I am today and the decisions I make. I am now more open to change, and see it as an opportunity for growth rather than an obstacle.
So, while this memory isn’t exactly pleasant to remember, it brings a lot of value to my life in the lessons I learned.
Even though we all face experiences that can be painful, and have memories we would rather forget, it is important to acknowledge the role they play in our lives. Instead of taking bad experiences as an obstacle, we should view them as opportunities for growth. This is why, though it may be tempting to want to erase certain memories, we should instead choose to embrace them to learn from them and grow.
Hi Hiba! I love the topic of your blog! It really got me thinking. I definitely agree with your statement about choosing not to erase unhappy memories because of the lessons learned. I had a similar experience to you, where I quit things like ballet since my family moved around a lot and I couldn't be consistent. I was disappointed, but like you, I understood that not everything will work out. Life works in mysterious ways, and that's okay! Even when things don’t go the way we want, they can still teach us something important. Thank you so much for sharing! It has been great having you in my blog cohorts this year!
ReplyDeleteHey Hiba!
ReplyDeleteYour blog title quickly caught my eye! This is an amazing question to ask anyone, and in my opinion, I wouldn't erase any memories. For me, erasing memories is like erasing a lesson. Every single memory, or anything you can practically remember, has a lesson incorporated in it. If I missed a game winner in basketball, I wouldn't want to erase that memory, because it will drive me to do better in my next game. Memories are something which can be both good and bad, and both memories have a lesson attached to it. It was amazing how you brought in personal experiences, and tied it into your prompt. I also agree with you, on how bad memories isn't something we would always want to remember, but they really are driving moments in our life. Hiba, it was amazing to have you in my blog cohort this year. You truly are a great writer, and until next time, salute.
Hey Hiba! I just want to start this off by saying that this is a really creative idea for a blog. Now, I agree that all memories, regardless of if they're positive or negative, are worth remembering, because yes, they do shape who we are today. But there are a couple of embarrassing moments I wish I could forget. It's impressive to see how you've taken your negative memories and turned into a learning opportunity. I also had a similar experience where a knee injury also caused me to quit water polo for a couple months, and I was devastated. But, I came to terms with what fate had given me, and turned it into a somewhat positive outcome by becoming a junior referee. I was still able to stay involved with an activity I enjoyed and not letting my injury stop me. Again, thank you Hiba for being part of my cohort this year! Every one of your blogs has been a fun read and given me a lot to think about, and I appreciate that.
ReplyDeleteHiba! Hey! Great way to end off your blogs! The title really stuck with me to be quite frank. It honestly reminds me of the movie inception, in which memory, dreams, and the human mind are seen as objects that can be tampered and altered. It's really cool how there's so much speculation as to what pertains to true memory. My theory on all of this is that there are some inherent human characteristics that live within all people, so in the case that their memory were to wiped, I still have this belief that there would be certain actions, beliefs, and ideas that people would still have regardless of their memory being totally erased. And I know that kinda trails off of what your blog is talking about but I though it would be a cool concept to explore in anything you write in the future. Maybe our memories shape who we are---familiar faces, experiences, and locations----or maybe we're all just born with a foundation that leads way to the direction we'll head towards.
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