By Irene Verikiou and Gilda Mazaraki (A Class)

Memories, without doubt, are indicative of our lifelong experiences, evoke both positive and negative feelings and are a means of comparing the presence with the past.

 People derive pleasure and satisfaction from conjuring up memories of the past with friends or family. Memories are a source of contentment for everyone, as discussing about past experiences with peers generates intense feelings. As people we have an inclination to constantly compare our current situation with our lives in the past by bringing memories in our minds. Undoubtedly, if this becomes a habit we may lose the sense of now and subconsciously keep identifying with our past personality. However, thinking about our old personality can stimulate our thoughts and motivate us to work harder and perform better than before.

Another perception of the role of memories is that they are a combination of experiences that have contributed significantly to our lives and have developed our personalities. All we are is a number of experiences that have had an indelible impression on us and have hammered our personality accordingly. Contrarily, memories do not always tell the truth. We should not rely on one’s memories regarding an event, since each person may perceive this differently. More clearly, each person remembers what impressed them most and according to their own perspective. For example, a child’s memories about a walk in the park differ from those of his parents.

 Ultimately, memories play a constitutive part in people’s lives; they are a valuable source of experiences and pleasures of life and if we use them the right way, we can even improve ourselves.