you can take back your memories, they're no good to me

this is kinda old, but i was just having a conversation about it so i thought i'd post it. i dunno how many of you have heard, but theres now a pill that can erase your memories. like completely. they scientifically abused people with spiders to give them huge phobias, and the ones that took the pill suddenly werent afraid of them. not like they had gotten over their fear, but like they were never afraid in the first place.

if you've ever watched the movie eternal sunshine of the spotless mind with kate winslet and jim carrey (good but weird movie) then you've basically seen what this pill can do. in the movie, they completely erase the memory of each other after they break up. if theres no memory of the other person, theres no heartbreak, no having to get over anyone because it is like the other person never ever existed.

of course, they arent just going to be handing out free samples of the pill when you go buy your vitamins. at least in the beginning, they will be using it for people suffering from addictions and post-traumatic stress. if you have no memory of how addictive cocaine or alcohol or whatever can be, then it's easier for you to just say no. they are hoping for miracles from this pill, and it looks like it may be able to live up to the hype.

but think about it, would you really want your memories erased?? i mean sure, you go through an agonizingly embarrasingly awful day or you break up with the love of your life, and you want nothing more than for the whole experience to vanish, but memories help to define who we are. a lot of what you do or think or feel is based off experiences you've had and the memory of those experiences. if they were to just suddenly disappear, would you still be the same person?? would you still have the same outlook on life that you had now?? would you like the same things, the same people??

so, while totally cool that science has been able to once again turn fantasy into reality, i'm not sure that i would really want it.

*Gives You Hell - All-American Rejects