Memory Is A Liar’s Worst Enemy

Let’s not lose our ability to remember

realistic aerial photograph of a man lost in the middle of a gargantuan maze, unable to remember which direction he wanted to go — by DALL·E

A Most Powerful Weapon

Memory might be our best ally, weapon and shield against the dangers and fiends of the modern world. Open access to information has made us less appreciative of our ability to remember, which poses a real threat to our capacity of thinking critically. It is tempting to dismiss memorisation when we are always only a couple of taps away from any piece of information. It is fascinating how much this happens to us: we constantly have to check facts and appointments, even the time or the weather.

No Need To Remember Anymore?

Naturally, our species has never dealt with so much information daily as we do now. Since it is impossible to remember everything, we accept the fact and rely on technology to do it for us. So far, so good: that is what technology is for. The problem arises when we stop practising the mental faculties related to memory: they will inevitably suffer from atrophy, and we will struggle to remember the most fundamental aspects of daily life. Nobody needs to know the capital of every country on the planet, the names of this king and that queen, or the dates of one war or another. Nobody needs to know what someone said because we can go to the source directly and avoid misunderstandings. However, we should remember the…