if identity is bound up with memory does that mean that memory loss would turn me into someone else?

Answer 1

Identity is closely bound to memory, in that, our past shapes who we are, and how we react to our experiences forms our personality. However, if you were to lose your memory, you would not necessarily lose the personality that had been formed by those memories. Also, the identity is not defined by itself, but by it's interactions with others, so that, as others remember yourself, so yourself understands what it is, and it is likely that this would still apply after memory loss. That being said, the loss of memory would be a powerful event that would likely change you for the rest of your life, so in that regard, you would be a different person. Hope that helps.

Answer 2

well I watched this episode of House last night, and they shocked this person and he forget his childhood, his family and friends, all his experience memories

experiences shape a person, self realizations or realizations about the world, and memories of your childhood and past are literally a part of you, I really do think memories are a big part of your identity, if you lost your memories, I don't know what would happen, you might turn into a different person as you move on or you might be really reflective oft he person you used to be, the human mind is unique to each individual, the way it formulates and thinks and the imagination, it's all unique to a person, but if the memories of the people and places shaping this mind sicne childhood are gone, I think you would become a different person, there's a big difference between losing some memories and losing your entire past

there's this story of that man during the 1800s who got a big metal pipe go through his head, I think his name was Phineas or something, and that changed his personality completely
so if memories are lost, due to brain damage, personality can change significantly, it's all in the head

Answer 3

presupposing that the first part of your question is correct, that indeed identity/memory are linked, and im not saying they are. that would loss of such memory turn you in to someone else, even then that would not be correct for is it not the self who determines who you are, not identity, we can have fake ids and be someone else in reality. under hypnosis subjests have revealed other memories, im not sure wether this is to be true or planted memories from previous readings that have been forgotten. from information gathered from family reconstructed memories have been used to treat patients who have suffered memory loss, which is a very rare condition unless through accidental damage to the memory part of the brain. Regards LF

Answer 4

No, and that is the beautiful thing! Memory loss has the potential to turn you into you! From the perspective of your programmers, family, friends, and society, you would seem like a different person but you would infact be yourself, the true you, stripped of programming.

Answer 5

Yes and no. If you lost your memory, you would have no recollection of who you once were but you would still be you, to everyone else who knows you. They'd just think you're not quite like the old you they once knew, because you won't be able to recognize who they are and so your responses to them would be different. And I guess, if you never regained your memory, you would probably reshape yourself into a new you, making new memories. It's a strange condition!

Answer 6

not exactly. You would have self identity issues. Its not just your memory that determines your person. It is your experiences relating to those memories.
We all learn from experiences, memories keep us from repeating those experiences. If you hadn't taken the path you had, you wouldn't be the person you are today.
You will still be you, but you may not know why.

Answer 7

In my own mind it would turn me into someone or something else - (a lost soul). However in others' memories I would still be me.

Answer 8

There are different types of memory and different types of memory loss so, it depends.

Answer 9

no, and your memory is not entirely tied up with identity; i know this because i have had seizures which wiped my memories. You don't turn into another personality.

Answer 10

yes it would, u can see a real life experience of someone who one day lost his memory for no apparent reason in this true documentary that i saw last month from blockbuster, it was a really really captivating philosophical experience, the movie got two thumbs up, it is called, UNKNOWN WHITE MALE, more info about it can be found on this link

http://imdb.com/title/tt0436864/