If You Could Remember Everything, Would You?

As I was waiting for the 4:57 Overground train a thought crossed my mind, why the f**k do people not let others off the tube first? It makes no sense and is incredibly annoying.

Is it because of the pandemic and people have forgotten where they have come from? Are they worried about the future and value every second a lot more and literally cannot wait? Or is there simply a new wave of Londoners that was never taught?

All of these thoughts revolved around my head with the only outcome being how do I help them remember? I can't. The simple consideration is that humans are not built this way but what if we were?

Personally

Relationships are tricky at the best of times. Negotiation, compromise and change. These are the nature of the game and often times you will believe that you are correct but your spouse will feel the opposite. They remember differently and have a completely different memory of what happened.

If you could then literally click a button or touch a part of your body (no reproduction jokes, please!) and get an unedited recording, what would you do? Would you believe it? I mean if this was how human beings operated then you would do but still, imagine what that would do to the species?

Black Mirror covered a similar topic in its first season. That of an obsessed partner who, through watching recordings of the evening (that his eyes recorded) discovered that his wife was having an affair.

It led to obsession and whilst exposing affairs is a good thing, the focus I would highlight is obsession. Imagine always proving you were right and the desire to do so. It would be damaging.

Professionally

Innocent until proven guilty would remain and in some senses being able to prove behaviour that was intolerable such as sexism, mysongeny or harassing would be a benefit, but would you turn humans into robots with this move? Would everyone be overly aware of their behaviour, resulting in more breakdowns?

The office is flawed, yes, but it does provide security (speaking from an English pov), we have legal protections (for now) and cannot be dismissed instantly (unless it's gross misconduct).

We know that we would have a trial and be able to have our voice heard, whereas this could end up with instant dismissals based on the evidence...but then if it is due to the reasons above, is that not of benefit?

Employees and employers would have a record of their actions. Each side would be able to hold the other to account but privacy is where the controversy would like. I mean would you want the IT Manager to have access if you are on the toilet? Where would you join the line? What about legitimately falling in love with a colleague? Where would the line be?

Criminally

Police could quickly and easily compare accounts and make a judgement. Something that would be of benefit. I imagine that you would get testimony from all parties and compare that to individual footage and avoid locking up those who are innocent.

Privacy would once again be of concern in terms of how to share, who has access and how access is controlled. If there is a central database then who would monitor access? How would this information be shared?

• What controls would also be in place in terms of tampering?
• Would the system be in built into all of us and how early would it start?
• Would protections exist for young people?

Would You Want Access?

If you could remember everything at the click of a button (for lack of a better description), would you want to? Would you want to continually replay a tragic event? A breakup? A loss? Surely that would lead to obsession and that would benefit no one.

The power of humanity is in how it processes loss. We remember feelings and emotions but exact memories fade quickly. they get absorbed into other considerations and we move forward with our lives and this is important because if we do not evolve then we never grow. We would remain stagnant, unable to break out of the past.

• There are sometimes when I would love to go back and see memories of my grandad but then again would that ruin it?
• Have I built up all the feelings into something beyond what was?
• Would I ruin the memories?
• I doubt it but then would I then spend my remaining life going back and living in the past, unable to leave my house as I can't stop watching?
• Would that be my inevitable fate?

A Final Thought

Just because we could do something, would we? I would hope that humanity would never get to that stage. To the stage in which we are able to review our lives at the click of a button as there would be so many risks.

Privacy concerns for those who would have their memories stolen and for those who may be sold tonics to forget older, more painful memories then again, what about an abusive partner who is handy with code, who can simply remove the memory and get away with proceedings? What about the IT tech who reaches in but cannot stop and watches you being intimate or on the toilet?

We are as prone to obsession as a species. We need to move on and maintain our own memories that mean more than 'archive footage'. I would love to see my Grandad again but I know deep down that would do more harm than good. He was the greatest father figure I ever had and I have so many memories in my mind. I don't need to see them again as I know what they are. I will always appreciate him.

To have access to all our memories would be dangerous and I would most certainly not be in favour of doing so. It would lead to more problems than it would solve.