Who Will Edit Your Life?

Soon we’ll be able to remember every second of our lives. But how will we make sense of it?

... Complete entry

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  11/05  at  06:59 AM

Don't forget the importance of forgetting in making us who we are today.

The exceptional people with photographic memories generally regard it as a curse, a terrible burden to their life.

Forgetting is essential to healing after a traumatic event. e.g. divorce, disaster, violent attack, etc.

A state that remembers every transgression you ever made, no matter how trivial, is a tyrannical dictatorship. It is bad enough on the web to be reminded of articles you wrote ten years ago that you now totally disagree with.

I was going to say something else very important, but I've forgotten it.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  11/05  at  07:09 AM

@BillK:

>It is bad enough on the web to be reminded of articles you wrote ten years ago that you now totally disagree with.

That's an interesting point. Our concept of our own past is already changing, with the web "helpfully" recalling every poorly-worded email sent in haste (particularly during those early weeks in everybody's online life when you are still learning the particularities of online discussion). It can be quite uncomfortable, but on the other hand, it might make self-delusion a little less easy in the long term.

Not something we'd have chosen deliberately, mind you :D.

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