Memory is quite possibly the most important ingredient in the recipe that is you. Think about it: if you lived each day only to forget your thoughts, feelings, interactions, and experiences, who would you be today?

Everyone in life would be a stranger.

When we meet someone, we remember their name, their identifying features, and how they made us feel. If we suddenly lost the ability to remember these initial encounters, we would never form meaningful relationships. Not only that but those hunches we feel deep in our gut that warn us to steer clear of a particular person will also be lost with our fleeting memory. Trust is an essential component to building a friendship. Where there is trust, there is a foundation that has been built upon. To recall those defining moments, we need our memory. Without it, everyone would simply be a stranger.

Lessons learned would be soon forgotten.

Sometimes we have to learn our lesson the hard way. Although this is the least ideal route for most, it can also be the most effective. The hardships we faced as a result of a poor decision are encoded in a special part of our memory that is specific to emotion. Emotions are the glue to our memories, and often solidify what we learned so that we avoid feeling that way in the future. Without memory, we would unknowingly make the same mistakes each day, instead of progressing toward efficiency and happiness.

Advancements would be a rarity.

Imagine having an epiphany moment, only to forget it in a matter of minutes. You can kiss modern technology goodbye, we would not have the mental capacity to invent such innovations. To create something, we first must remember what we want to invent. What’s more, the evolution of technology and its history exists because we have built upon pre-existing knowledge. Lacking the ability to form memories, we would be stuck in the stone ages unable to advance as a civilization.

Our identity would be a mystery.

Every moment we have experienced has made an impact on our self-identity. While the idea of forgetting our low points seems like a tempting offer, these inferior moments have helped us to recognize our strengths and play them up. We may struggle with attaining perfection, but knowing our strengths and weaknesses paves the way for pursuing our passions. If you can’t remember what you are good at and what you enjoy, how can you lead a meaningful, happy life?

It is so easy to fail to remember the importance our memory plays in our lives. Without memory, we would be existing rather than loving, learning, advancing and chasing our passions.