Sohila Elattar - Week 13 - Memory and Identity
Memory and identity are closely connected. The memories we carry and will continue to carry with us throughout our lives have helped us shape who we are and how we view and observe the things that occur in the world. Every moment, experience, and interaction we have gone through has left an imprint on our identity and affected how we act, think, and feel.
If you really think about it, our memories are like pieces of a puzzle that came together to create the bigger picture of who we are. From small childhood moments like going to the park with friends and the late nights in said park with your sisters, to big life events like losing a loved one, every memory plays a role in building our sense of self. For example, if you remember a time when you felt proud of an accomplishment like maybe being complimented on your intelligence at a young age, it will cause you to keep going and to try your best in your studies. On the other hand, if you remember a time when you felt rejected or hurt, that memory might make you more cautious or wary in the future.
But memory isn’t always a perfect reflection of what actually happened. Sometimes, we remember things differently based on how we felt at the time or what we learned later on. Over time, some memories can even fade or change, which means our identity is not something fixed. Instead, it’s something that continues to evolve as we grow, learn, and experience new things.
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Hi Sohila, first of all, you and your sister look absolutely adorable! It’s really cool how you connect identity and memories together. Although I immensely value both, I have never connected them in that way. The connection between them makes me think about the experiences we choose to value in the shaping of our identities and how it comes to show to other people. We’re always having daily conversations where we talk about a specific memory related to the topic. These memories that we also share with others makes these people have a different identity correlated to us, changing out others perceive our own memories which is honestly really weird to think about.
ReplyDeleteThe different experiences you talk about like going to the park reminds me of when I used to go to the park in the morning and would only come home until the minute before sunset during our summers. It really brought me back to the other daily experiences I used to have but never bothered thinking about, but now, I cherish them with all my heart.
However, as you say, there are also bad memories that we might not share as much that still shape how we approach many things. For example, an experience of losing one of my grandparents and leaving 8th grade two weeks early has come to shape how much I value and prioritize the connection of family in my life and identity. In fact, many of my first few blogs of identity had many memories and experiences of my family, specifically my brother that has come to shape many things I do in my life. It is really cool how you make this connection and makes me really think about how we see other people’s memories and how we relate to them. You’re blog was really insightful!
Hi Sohila, I agree with a lot of the ideas you discussed in your blog. Reflecting on your memories as puzzle pieces that make up who you are is a really interesting way to think about them. I think acknowledging that your identity not only comes from the personality you consciously craft for yourself but also the things that have happened to you and the things you remember is really wise. I thought it was really cool how you were able to connect your memory of playing in the park with friends as a child with the memory of returning to that park when you were older with someone you became closer with. When I revisit places that I’ve been before, I also think about what happened in my older memory and how I’ve changed since then. I definitely agree with your point about how we subjectively remember certain moments of our lives, and because of that, we will never have a complete portrait of our lives; you wrapped up this point really well by expressing that our identities will always be evolving. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHey, Sohila. I like how you helped visualize memories in one’s identity as “puzzle pieces. This visual representation helped me understand your thought process greatly. Thank you for talking about old memories especially. Thinking about memory’s role in my personality has allowed me to reflect and think back on fond moments. Outside of this blog or educational settings, the only real reminder or thing that gets me to notice past moments most is Youtube and its algorithm when recommending old videos from my “Watch Later” playlist. It embodies “time trapped in a bottle” for decades to come.
ReplyDeleteA few days ago, I was recommended a music video. Produced and created almost entirely by Tame Impala alone, “Let It Happen” was a song I had frequented several times over during the end of my Sophomore year—a time I would describe to be nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster. The song quite literally defined the resolution to an era of my life. What looked to be one of the hardest points in my life is now a far cry compared to the work and responsibilities I’ve attained now. Thanks for the self-reflection, Sohila. See you Friday! - Rafael Montes Barrera
Hello Sohila! I really liked your Blog as it brought back so many memories I have had with my siblings as well. The memories that we make over a lifetime surely do play a huge role in our overall development and personality too. They make up our identity, and that is something that we carry with us for the rest of our lives. I also believe that the way we perceive the world is also really affected by the memories we make growing up. For example, let's say that an individual is playing basketball for the school team when they are in elementary school, and they miss the game-winning shot. That memory itself can cause so many issues in the future, either relating to confidence issues or lack of motivation to continue playing the sport. I believe that humans have the ability to push past their bad memories and turn them into positive ones.
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