Essay Example on Life Without Episodic Memories

The definition of the beauty of life can vary considerably from one person to another. Some people may decide that leading a cozy life, driving posh cars, and living large, is the true definition of life's beauty. Others may argue that, having inner peace, happiness, and abundant health reflects true beauty of life. However, I think that the beauty of life depends on the ability to create and retain memories. Memories are the basic skeleton of a life. They paint life with blissful colors, and give it a desirable taste so that it becomes sweet.

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The human mind is very sophisticated in packing millions of information, and recovering the information in a flash of a second. Memories are the window through which information is retrieved from the brain. In simple terms, memories are past events that are stored as information that can be easily accessed by the brain. On the foundation of this, it becomes clear that memories can either be stored in the brain as long term or short term, depending on the ease and frequency of accessing the information. Long term memories are stored as permanent files and will contain a record of events in our lives which bear great significance. On the other hand, short-term memories are momentary files that capture information that is not very relevant to the life of an individual. How the brain filters and classifies information according to the gravity they have to our lives, is pretty impressive.

Imagine life without episodic memories. If the brain failed to retain information, such that as soon as it processed new information, it does not store the information, but rather discards it. Some people may argue that it would be interesting since; every day would be like the first day on the face of this earth. People would be living one day at a time because tomorrow would take care of itself. People would only work partially to fulfill the obligations of the tummy, but not to save for the future. Boredom created by monotonous routine would be eliminated, since one would never be stuck doing a particular job. There is also the joy of not paying debts since they would be forgotten in the next day.

However, focusing on the bigger picture, life would lose its beauty. Today you are married and have a family, tomorrow you cannot even recognize your kids. Such kind of life would be dull. A life where you cannot keep track of your possessions or reflect on your past life does not sound impressive at all. A life lacking self-identity, since recalling even your name will prove to be a problem. It beats logic, how the productivity of the country would be measured under a forgetful people. The coordination of activities by people would be poor. People would live like strangers each passing day. It is even harder to imagine the things that would happen without episodic memory.

In conclusion, life without episodic memories is arguably unthinkable. Memories give life to life itself. Memories are the only determinants of progress, and the shape of our future. Memories are priceless, and define who we are. Indeed, memories are the primary ingredient that gives life desirable taste and blissful color.