Is knowledge memory? If we say we know something, do we also have to say we remember it? We can know we did something without actually remembering doing it. Could we just have fooled ourselves? When I was younger, I know I would take a plastic cup and mix my own soda concoctions. I don’t remember doing it but I know I did. I used to experiment with herbs and spices in my ramen. I mix my sauces together to see what kinds of new flavors come out: ketchup, mayo, and the hottest sauce you can find is a great combination.
I remix everything. My artwork is a remix of captured imagery with original writing. My music is a collection of otherwise irrelevant clips all looped together to form something somewhat coherent. I know with certainty that I did all of it, they have my name and I can easily find them on my hard drives. I don’t remember doing them, and I couldn’t replicate them if I wanted to. Is knowledge memory?
When we learn something, are we gaining a part of their memories? Alternately, when we remember something, are we gaining a part of their knowledge? When we learn about history, we certainly don’t remember it from the first-person perspective. However, aren’t we keeping their memories alive? Well, at least versions of them anyway.
Isn’t that what memories are, versions of truth? Knowledge is the accumulation of fact, no? Not entirely. We can remember facts. We can remember the grass is green, or that it rained the other day. Can we also know truths? Or do we simply confuse knowing with believing? That happens all the time. Entire religions are built on confusing faith with knowledge.
If we can’t know truth as definitively as we remember fact, but we can remember fact – what happens to people who forget? Is knowledge memory? I know, in my heart, that I’ve done some terrible things. It lingers on me like a tangible weight. I can’t remember it, though. So, what is it that I can’t remember. If memories are versions of truth, what is it that you remember? Sensory experiences.
I can’t replicate sensory experiences. I feel like I’ve done something, so I believe it to be true. I can find proof of things I’ve done, so I know it to be true. However, rarely can I actually replicate in my mind the sensory experience of doing something. Picturing a face, enjoying a taste, a tactile feel, the actual sensations are all lost. If we know we did something, but we can’t re-experience it, what does it mean? Is knowledge memory?