If you could forget someone

[SortaAsian]

If you've watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, you'll know exactly what i'm talking about.

If you had the option to completely erase someone from your memory, including all the memories attached to them, would you?

Obviously this is a very relative question, but i'm curious if anyone has had experiences with people they honestly wish they had never met, or if every situation has its benefits, and you grow a bit more mature with every life experience, good or bad.

Personally, I know of one person whom I think I would honestly be better off not remembering at all. Any positive aspects just don't seem to outweigh the negative.


I think if this technology existed, a lot of people would impulsively erase the memory of ex lovers out of spite or simply to make the pain go away. However, if they could somehow realize/remember what they had done, I think they would feel regret for losing those memories and experiences. Time heals the pain, and I think every sort of life experience we run across makes us into the unique individuals that we all are.

[sora wonk]

I would like to forget myself, in a way. Perhaps not the same way you are describing, but. I feel like it's a lot easier to be happy when you are not thinking about yourself as much.

A more relevant answer: No. I wouldn't like to forget anyone I've met. You learn something from everyone and I wouldn't like to lose learning.

[Pseudo-Onkelos]

They already use something called Midazolam during a colonoscopy, which has amnesiac effects. There is your memory erasure drug. Anyway, I cannot think of anyone who I would want to forget.

[LadyKitastrophe]

There is one person I wouldn't mind forgetting. The pain I feel from knowing him is not one that I'll learn anything from. If anything it has caused me to be more cautious around people. I'm not talking about an ex-lover or anything, just someone I knew who has caused me great pain, pain so great that it's interfering with my everyday life. So, I definitely would forget him if I could because I'd probably be a much better person.

[Rosy_Owl]

Creating a mechanism for doing this would be a pointless and selfish waste of resources. Plus it would put a lot of therapists, social workers, and psychiatrists out of business.

[dxnobodyx]

Ppl who are traumatised often try and just forget, while short term thats a great plan to get you out of the traumatic event. Long term it serves no solution to the problem, better to have it as an experience which you can fix then just ignore.

[Not Your Medic]

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I'd rather not forget anyone. Of course, I've met the terrible kind of people, the kind you really regret meeting ever at all.
But there is no good without bad.

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Location – Your house // Occupation – Stealing your internal organs // Current Party – Me, myself und I // Equipment – Rusted Bonesaw

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[Daughter Watcher]

light can not exist without darkness

[Project Light]

SortaAsian

If you've watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, you'll know exactly what i'm talking about.

If you had the option to completely erase someone from your memory, including all the memories attached to them, would you?

Obviously this is a very relative question, but i'm curious if anyone has had experiences with people they honestly wish they had never met, or if every situation has its benefits, and you grow a bit more mature with every life experience, good or bad.

Personally, I know of one person whom I think I would honestly be better off not remembering at all. Any positive aspects just don't seem to outweigh the negative.


I think if this technology existed, a lot of people would impulsively erase the memory of ex lovers out of spite or simply to make the pain go away. However, if they could somehow realize/remember what they had done, I think they would feel regret for losing those memories and experiences. Time heals the pain, and I think every sort of life experience we run across makes us into the unique individuals that we all are.

I'm sure there are times when I'd wished I could forget someone, but now that doesn't seem to be the case. I grew out of it. No memory of anyone affects me negatively anymore. If anything, I'd fear the removal of them would alter my personality. Every interaction changes your personality to a certain degree. Even the worst interactions are capable of making you a better person, if only serving as examples of what not to be and bettering your understanding as to why.
I am not still hurt by things in my past, but I am still more developed and understanding because of them, so I would not want to remove such a thing. The removal of a person may not even hurt me, but it certainly won't help me.

[usmclcpl]

I would forget my ex-wife, no questions asked.

[maydayp_p]

If I would still have the negative effects from their infulance in my life, no. If I didn't have to live with those negative effects, yes. I would erase my mother from my life.

[maydayp_p]

Rosy_Owl

Creating a mechanism for doing this would be a pointless and selfish waste of resources. Plus it would put a lot of therapists, social workers, and psychiatrists out of business.

If I were a psych professional, I would be happy to be put out of business.
but I don't think social workers would run out of work, because they'd still have to find homes for kids, same with the psych professions you mentioned, people have other issues that they treat that would not be effected by erasing some one from your life.

[Rosy_Owl]

maydayp_p

Rosy_Owl

Creating a mechanism for doing this would be a pointless and selfish waste of resources. Plus it would put a lot of therapists, social workers, and psychiatrists out of business.

If I were a psych professional, I would be happy to be put out of business.
but I don't think social workers would run out of work, because they'd still have to find homes for kids, same with the psych professions you mentioned, people have other issues that they treat that would not be effected by erasing some one from your life.

I doubt that if you were a mental health professional you would be happy to lose your job. Most people don't enjoy being jobless.

I know that there would still be people who would need or want mental health services, but it would certainly put a lot of mental health professionals out of business; I didn't say they would all be out of work.

[maydayp_p]

Rosy_Owl

maydayp_p

Rosy_Owl

Creating a mechanism for doing this would be a pointless and selfish waste of resources. Plus it would put a lot of therapists, social workers, and psychiatrists out of business.

If I were a psych professional, I would be happy to be put out of business.
but I don't think social workers would run out of work, because they'd still have to find homes for kids, same with the psych professions you mentioned, people have other issues that they treat that would not be effected by erasing some one from your life.

I doubt that if you were a mental health professional you would be happy to lose your job. Most people don't enjoy being jobless.

I know that there would still be people who would need or want mental health services, but it would certainly put a lot of mental health professionals out of business; I didn't say they would all be out of work.

they might not like that they are jobless, but considering the experiences I've heard of, I truthfully think that many therapists etc. would be happy that their patients no longer needed their help, because of how bad those experiences are. I would give examples but I don't feel that they are mine to share.

[Rosy_Owl]

maydayp_p

I really doubt anyone would be glad to have their memories erased so that they feel better, and I would be surprised if any therapist endorsed such methods of "treatment." There are better, more humane, and less ridiculous ways to recover and rebuild than wiping out chunks of a person's life.