7 hours Ago
“Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I’ll understand,” a Chinese proverb reads.
With the flurry of disinformation and misinformation in the media recently, how can we know what news is real and accurate? And as time passes does our recollection of an event or person depart from reality? In the months and years ahead, is there a risk that the catastrophic changes and destruction of functional agencies and the eviction of dedicated personnel from the government will affect our memories? Are there ways in which we can fortify our memory to never forget that the new occupant of the White House was the instigator of a devastating transformation of proven governance? We must never forget how and why this has happened if we are ever to bring the ship of state back on a course of common sense and compassion. Up front, I need to state that I have no expertise in this topic. My training was in limnology and natural hazard mitigation.
And as I try to recall the reality of floods, avalanches, earthquakes and wildfires that I have experienced, I wonder how accurately I remember these events. I may be guilty of exaggeration or minimization. For readers of the Daily Camera who are psychologists and mental health experts, it would be helpful if your expertise and research could shed light on the question of what can be done to never forget these ruinous and tumultuous times so they may be avoided in the future.
A friend of mine recently said her memories are triggered by a rose fragrance, or a photo of the World Trade Towers burning, or the sound of a hymn like “We shall overcome someday.” Will people of this country who feel the new leadership of our national government is taking us in a very dark direction have a memory that departs from the reality of today? Years from now how accurately will we recall how the hopes of immigrants were trampled? How the Constitution was violated, or how the hard science of climate change was disputed? How many memories will be modified like those that allege that an election was stolen or that January 6, 2021, was a peaceful protest? Studies have shown that repeated lies and disinformation can alter reality. Repetition of a fabrication tends to change a myth into something that seems almost real.
According to the National Institutes of Health , 40% of people 65 or older experience age-related memory loss. That may suggest that a majority of our population has the responsibility to not forget this present crisis in our nation. Apparently, a few remedies for remembering are lots of 100% orange juice and lots of cocoa or hot chocolate.
Back in 370 BC, Socrates argued that writing will wreck people’s memory. Whatever the prescription, let us not forget the reality of the disastrous days of 2025. Spense Havlick is a former member of the Camera Editorial Board and a former member of the Boulder City Council.
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