How We Remember Our Past Determines Our Future

Historical memory is far more than an academic exercise

Image, from 1963 March on Washington, by Rowland Scherman, Flickr, Archives Foundation. Creative Commons License 2.0

Imagine you were to seek out a therapist, perhaps to help you work through some childhood and adolescent traumas that continued to impact your life as an adult.

You wish to get to the bottom of your current damage by exploring your past, hopeful that with proper guidance, you can learn from it — the good and the bad — and begin building a healthier present and more hopeful future.

Now imagine that upon sitting down on the couch, your therapist said that they looked forward to helping you, but unfortunately, they wouldn’t be able to examine anything from your past that might make you feel discomfort.

Or sadness. Or shame.

Even if their purpose is to help you navigate those feelings, and even if they have the professional tools to help you work through them — should they arise — they cannot.

Imagine your therapist were to tell you they look forward to helping you, but won’t be able to examine anything from your past that might make you feel discomfort…