Firstly, even in a society where this is deemed acceptable, it must always be at the discretion of the person having their memory altered in some way.

Even with this consent however, I think this should be a no. hit the nail on the head with this one. Memories are what make us learn from mistakes and experiences, even if they are experiences forced upon us against our will as with the scenario mentioned by . I'm sure many such victims would do anything to get rid of the pain that this memory brings but not the things it has taught them about themselves, the people/society around them and the world as a whole.

Should we erase the crimes of WWII? The Genocide of millions was no doubt tragic but we need the memory of it to ensure that it is better recognised before it happens and to prevent it. Being a holocaust denier is a very damaging thing as many would agree, so why would we think it's ok to erase the memory entirely? Obviously, I'm not saying that we are actually willing to learn from these things, just look at the shit Russia and China are pulling, killing and hurting thousands and no one seems to give enough of a damn to do anything about it. That's for another topic lol...

One also needs to consider the implications of such a technology. Even if we came out with a set of rules and guidelines that must be followed, such as consent, there will always be some governments, criminals and organisations who would ignore these. It would also raise the issue of "If no one knows a crime has been committed because the memory of it has been erased, has the crime still been committed? It's kind of like the age old philosophical question "If a tree falls but no one is around to hear it..."

I fully agree with you that we do not really know what memory is and that one could correctly argue that no single memory exists in an of it's self, but is rather an amalgamation or most of our memories. That still does however, in my opinion at least, mean that the individual memory can be crucial is the end product (you as a whole).




Your points are also valid is so far as may not remembering individual memories, but again, the collection of them to form you are impacted by them individually. If you entirely lost the memory and the impact/absorption of this memory, then you would indeed be affected. And, as for your last point, you would not be "less of a person" should you lose any or indeed most of your memories but you would, as CarpeDiem asked, be a "be a different person"

I think Judaka is completely right in stating that what is meant in that quote is that death, which is inevitable, will eventually come to all. This is not focused on the life of the deceased or their death.

A religious person may argue that death is an equaliser because, before God, everyone is equal and judged on the good of their deeds and hearts, not of their wealth and privileges of life. As an atheist, I would argue that death is an equaliser because, in death, we all cease to exist... equally...

Where death would cease to be an equaliser would be if they manage to 'Cure' death, i.e. find a way to avoid it but only make it available to the rich, which it would be. In that case, death would certainly only be another thorn in the sides of the poor

I think yes, to a certain extent, your personality will certain change. When I say change, however, I mean evolve/adapt, not completely overhaul your personality or give you a new one.

One simple example of this is aging. While Philosophim makes a good point that many of our traits are electro/chemical, these often act/react and change to external stimuli. When you are younger, you are often bolder and more daring compared to old age, though of course this is not necessarily the case with everyone or to the same extent. And yes, this is definitely impacted by your brains electro/chemical state which does change with old age, but, even someone who feels young inside will often feel their age when they see themselves in the mirror. Their physical appearance undoubtedly affects their personality, which is how they interact with the world and even their own 'Minds eye' so to speak.

Another example of this can be seen in people born with one biological sex but identify as another. Many will choose to transition physically in order to look how they feel, fuelled in part by the fact that their personality is being impacted by the discomfort and potential insecurity caused by not seeing who they would like in the mirror. This is obviously a gross oversimplification, I don't mean to offend anyone who is going through or has gone through this by claiming to know exactly how they feel.

Yes... I think, however, that it depends on what the memory was and it's significance to you, which ironically you cannot do, because you forgot it :lol:

What I mean is, not every memory is the same in terms of the impact it had in defining you as a person and what impact this can cause in the future. The memory could mean that future situations, be there moral or social et cetera, are approached and handled differently by yourself had you retained the memory. Again, this is dependent on the memory in question.
'Incorrect recall' can occur for many different reasons which can lead to different choices being made. One example is a couple having a child whom they obviously love but, as children do, brings a host of problems such as financial and time constraints, lack of sleep et cetera which nearly breaks them. But when the child is a little older, most of this fades from memory and hopefully, only positive memories are left. At this point the couple may choose to have another child only to realise once it was done that they hated it the first time round and this time, it may actually cause the relationship to break.

This is a very basic example, and is only about incorrect recall, not a forgotten memory, but the point is the same.

It is important to remember that, In my opinion at least, memories are what shape us and are a useful tool to protect ourselves and others. To know that we are nothing more than memories, one only need ponder the question "who am I?" and all the answers you can possibly come up with will be a memory of something you have done, or a situation you have been in...