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How much does one's memory affect your personality?

posted 12 years ago by skelk
2 replies | jump to latest

The premise that we are more than our memories is very interesting. Although there is a conflict in the research groups ultimate aim of ridding the shackles of a stressful history and in this case all of the past in order to free the real person inside. The drive to discover the past is something most people would want to do in this situation. The main protagonist proves this by repeatedly searching himself out, even in the last few scenes. However, by altering behavioural patterns to prevent this innate wish effectively changes that baseline personality. Wouldn't this be in conflict with the initial aim of discovering the real person we are inside without our past to guide us?

Of course, we use our past to guide us in every decision we make and we evolve our personalities tremendously throughout the years. Have you ever hooked up with an old friend from the past to discover that you have nothing in common any more and you decide that hooking up was a bad idea? Obviously, the person you remember isn't the same now as they were either, you both have changed. It would be really interesting to see if you'd get along better without the memory of who you used to be and who you now are. The conversation would certainly be interesting to say the least. You couldn't talk about your interests since you had none. You'd both be witnessing the world and each other through fresh eyes. If you weren't driven to discover your past I suspect you'd just revert back into a more childlike self discovery and rediscover the common interests along the way just like you did when you first met.

I really liked some of the small points in this movie, every time he tried to sip a drink of wine he had a terrible reaction and just didn't like wine. In those who have suffered brain damage and are no longer able to create new memories, they are still able to cause an affect on their behaviour by repetition and in some cases are able to remember things. Somehow they are able to train their subconscious mind and thereby affect their future actions just by repeating the same thing over and over, even if they don't remember doing so. It is this role of the subconscious mind that made him reject the wine. Just liked that little detail.

[–] ThatsWayHarsh-Tai 12 years ago

Nice insight on the film and glad you started talking about it! I was so excited to read other peoples ideas/insight and it was all tumbleweeds and dustbunnies (until you got the party started).

For me, this was one of those that I liked immediately after viewing, but really like now (a few days later). Unexpectedly, this movie has stuck with me for days. The more I think about it - the more I appreciate it. I just really dug the idea that somehow 'memories' aren't only created in your mind, that they can reside elsewhere, hidden. As if some deep and profound love cannot be extricated from mind alone because it has become a part of your fabric; essentially, helping to 'make you, you'. Without the memories to accompany that feeling you would always feel as if something was missing...

I don't know though. The movie does really pose some interesting questions. I'm thinking maybe I missed quite a few details the first time around. Maybe that was on purpose, so that I'll have to watch it again

[–] JayCeezy 9 years ago

Absolutely, thanks to OP for starting this thread and you TWHT for picking up the baton. I also saw this a few days ago and have been considering the movie, the premise, and the storytelling. Really liked it, and agree with your observations about a lot of the details. The desire to discover who he was, how he came to be left to die in the desert with a hood and bound, his discoveries about himself (speaking German, very sexy, good friends with his landlord, leaving a messy bachelor pad, etc.). He was given many chances to not pursue his unknown old life, and the flashbacks he experienced (disturbing, and triggered by him drinking alcohol which caused him to destroy his family and be sentenced to 30 years) didn't make sense until the ending reveal. Loved the end-credit industrial film, and the suggested self-behavior-modification for Little Johnny. That also took a little contemplating to understand how it fit, but it really did.

For myself (and most others, I would guess) memories do impact my behavior. Some of them are very good (working hard, practicing diligently, and getting positive results) and some are bad (I act like a jerk and people don't like me, I trust somebody that I have doubts about and they betray me, etc.) All of these memories inform my current personality and behavior. Excellent movie, I really liked it.