The Importance Of Memory

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“There is no truth. There is only perception- Gustave Flaubert.” Although, truth is a one-syllable term, it is difficult to define it in a few short words. Perhaps, a relatively close denotation would be a quality of being true to one’s self. Fluabert argued that we perceive the truth; suggesting that the truth an individual believes in is deemed as a mere perception. Hence, this leads us to question the truth in the arts and history through memory and emotion.

Emotion can be conveyed in different forms, all correlating to the Arts. As individuals we have the ability to express our opinions and thoughts. This can be done through: signs, symbols, dance, drama, composition, writing, gestures and expressions. A few months ago, I was a spectator,

Memory is not as reliable as we, humans perceive it to be; once encoded, it is reconstructed; this is done to adhere to our personal satisfaction. Within the area of Human Sciences, specifically Psychology, we have intensely looked at the reliability of memory. Although, this has been studied through a different context, we could apply this to history. Several empirical studies have been conducted to support the lack of reliability of memory. As a psychology student, I have analysed and critiqued the studies to see whether memory is reliable or not. Surprisingly, I have conformed to the statement that memory is in fact not reliable. Historical events unquestionably required eyewitnesses (and do so until today) to share their personal knowledge regarding an event they were present at. Today, these eyewitness accounts are published in the modern history books for students and the society to read and comprehend, however, we are not aware to what extent they are reliable! I could confidently project that eyewitness testimonies are not as reliable and accurate as they are said to be. Within the historical context, false eyewitness accounts have led to false confirmation bias. These accounts conceal the truth behind the cruelty of history; we are led to believe that all is well in the world, when this statement is far from the truth. A few centuries ago, historians would encounter eyewitnesses, and these eyewitnesses would ramble due to their lack of accurate memory. Therefore, today through the help of Natural Sciences, DNA evidence is required to ensure that the correct suspects have been