The purpose of memory and why it can serve us.
The main objective of memory is to provide us with function. Its job has never been (and will never be) to hurt us. However, at times, we as people are unable to use memory as it’s intended. That is because — like everything in life — we make a choice. While most if not all things in life are not free, the exception to this accurate rule is free will. Free will will always be free, no matter the cost. It is therefore the responsibility of each of us as individuals to own our choices in this life in full with no excuses or exceptions for the circumstances. Memory provides us not only the ability but the capability to create our own unique cardinal points in our mind and body. This allows us to dictate our perception of what is tolerable and what is unreasonable for each of us uniquely. What is traumatic or, on the other end of the spectrum, pleasurable to us will not often be the same for the next individual. Our memories allow us to make distinctions and attain reference points. For those that have good or even didactic memories, it is not necessarily a good or positive thing if the individual doesn’t understand the main function of memory. The main function is to help and be a positive resource of recall to avoid danger and dislike as a form of self-protection, never harm. The harm with memory comes into play when a person makes the choice to perceive the protection mechanism of the memory for a current state of being. This results in reacting to a present situation out of context because of a past memory. This can also be referred to as “triggering”. We are all guilty of this to a degree. We all are capable of being triggered, no matter who we are. But those who do it the least — those who are the most in control of being triggered — are the most emotionally stable and resilient. The mainframe is about framing the current moment according to the current reality, not a memory. Reacting in the moment while using memory to inform the degree to which you react for protection is in contrast to the norm. What is more common is reacting based on a past memory, the context of which isn’t currently happening but feels like it’s currently happening because the last memory was so impactful that the brain cannot make the distinction. We must all measure this in ourselves for a productive existence. No matter where any of us fall on the spectrum, we can all improve based on life being a learning process (as my dad has instilled in me since I was 4 years old). Every year I get older, I realize the depth of his simple, fixed, and consistent statements.
