Another reason to keep a diary: Although I can't vouch for the methodology
of the study, I read a report a few days ago about a study showing that
men's memories of events in adolescence was no better than chance. That's
amazing. I find it surprising that the accuracy is no better than chance,
but not at all surprised that memory (I think it was over a 30-year time
period) is extremely poor. We all know that memory works by inference and
is not at all like a photograph.
I used to keep a diary regularly but now find I don't make the time. I
really need to buy voice-activated software. Having that excuse to speak to
my computer might get me in the habit again. Ideally I'd like something
similar to what Bruce Sterling described in his first novel, The Artificial
Kid. The protagonist was constantly accompanied by flying cameras that
recorded everything he did and that happened to him. (Although I'd want to
add some "internal soundtrack/thoughttrack".)
For me this is a matter of historical biographical interest, and insight
into understand what shapes my later self. I do not agree with those who
seem to think they die out unless their future self remembers them clearly.
I am not inherently interested in preserving my current self, but in seeing
that my current self continually develops into better future selves. My
current self will always survive as a major cause of my future selves. (For
way more than you want to read about this, see my doctoral dissertation on
my web site--"The Diachronic Self: Identity, Continuity, Transformation.)
I'll be saying something about this during my part of the panel session
following Natasha's presentation next Saturday at the Alcor Life Extension
Technology Conference.
Max
Max More, Ph.D.
President, Extropy Institute. www.extropy.org
CEO, MoreLogic Solutions. www.maxmore.com
max@maxmore.com or more@extropy.org
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