Nobody Will Remember You
Elisha Gray, Kia Silverbrook, Gustav Whitehead, Alfred Russel Wallace, Philo Farnsworth. You probably have no idea who they are yet you use derivates of their inventions on a daily basis. I won't mention what they did because it doesn't matter. Most of you won't bother to google them anyway. You have far more important things to attend to other than searching for a name that ended up doing something for you. I mean, do you even know or care about who invented the internet? Even if you do, does it occupy your daily thoughts?
We live based on the idea that our deeds and dreams will remain carved in people's memories yet we are a living proof that the ones that lived before us are nothing but vague amalgamations. We try to derive meaning from life by leaving something behind us. A book, a child, a piece of code, an Instagram page. In reality, we are only adding to a given amount of noise. Nature has carved us in a way that transcends our lives into things around us — whether that is DNA or carved word on a tree. We are on an autopilot of belief that doesn't hold in the long-run. We are conned by mother-nature.
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/http://citizen-web.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/chute.jpg)
Even so, I can hear you say "It's all good, I feel its worth it" and "You are depressed man". We like to give excuses for the inevitable so we can continue going on ourselves. We use defensive projections to protect us from the fragile wall that shields us from an inescapable reality. Failing to create a meaningful narrative for our lives leads to self-destruction, isolation, abandonment. Being alive entails that we can somehow manipulate the hormones and neurotransmitters in our minds so we control the way we would be remembered. Nonetheless, if you have spend a couple of decades on this rock, you have find out that saying to a depressed person to cheer up is much like to saying to an amputee to grow legs.
A bee, a cat, a bird do their daily chores without thinking. They do them because this who they are. They are born with specific instructions. They follow code that is imprinted inside them. Humans do much the same. We fail to grasp our place in time as much as a bee fails to understand the causality of its actions. Sure, we can envision our own death but that doesn't gives perspective about how easy we will be forgotten no matter what we do.
We have invented ethics, religion and philosophy in an effort to reason with this unsettling fact. Yet, fame doesn't care about good or bad deeds. Memories don't either. You know nothing about the people who I aforementioned above yet you talk, think and see this man on the right more than anyone else. Not that you know much about what he did but the face just translates into something in your mind. History is written from the winners anyways. If Germany had won the narrative would have been different since the allies did much similar atrocities.
The narrative. This is all that matters. The story we chose to say to ourselves so we can carve the memories of those around us. Memories that will anyway fade much like everything around us. You will be remembered by some members of your family, sometimes. Perhaps a few from the next generation will stumble upon your name somewhere. It wont matter much like a scientific reference doesn't play any other role other than getting you credibility.
It is said that most of our memories are fake, mixed up with dreams. The brain can retain only that much and after a while it starts mixing things together, creating shortcuts. Most of your childhood has perished even in your own mind. More than half of you is already dead. What remains are shared snapshots from some members of your family that already have forgotten those times as well. You all agreed to remember some parts and that creates a base for the contemporary you. You are probably also frustrated about how others have created a wrong image of you. No need to worry though. Nobody will remember you because memories themselves are nothing but dreams. Dreams fail to become reality because themselves are based on empty memories.
You really know how to motivate people, he he. If you were a psychiatrist I would be worried about your patients well being. Btw, great post. The sooner one realizes those facts the better for him. It's much easier and less stressful to live if you recognize reality.
If I was a psychiatrist, I would be handing out guns on their way out. Suicide is underrated.
I agree. I would do the same. Although I don't agree with Darwin's theory, the point about the ,,fittest survive'' is one of the good ones.
I don't think the fittest survive. I think the most adaptable to change survive. This is why everyone from the FIAT world is jumping aboard the crypto train and why eventually the government will have us all forever registered in the blockchain.
Nihilism much? Ain't nobody gonna remember this post.
realism much
I once saw a statue in a park, the statue of some obscure poet from a century ago. I figure he was admired enough at the time that they made him a statue to be remembered by. He must have written some books, I imagine. I did study literature in college, but the name didn't ring any bells. The guy is completely forgotten, save for the useless statue.
Wait, the statue was of some use, it was featured in the Pokemon Go game my son was playing at the time. If it wasn't for that, we wouldn't have even noticed the statue.
goes to show how much people care about others, I also had a similar story, it was a statue of a pretty "known" writer from my country, next to a pretty main road, in the capitol no less, It took me around 20 years of passing by it to one day just roam around and stumble upon it, all trashed around, uncared for, left with municipal lights and cones around nothing but wires running around it, the only people who I imagined were there probably resembled the statue in a way, left out, uncared for with the wires of the "good" and "normal" kids running around.
To me it's interesting to learn from others, even if they are long gone, even if they are not famous, I tend top respect doers and I tend to be interested in how people lived before even if it was a bit gloomy back in the days.
awesome point.
A very interesting and very true article my friend.. I think we are here to experience and to build to enjoy everything life has to offer.. Even if no one remembers you, you still lived and you enjoyed life and at the end of the day that is all that matters.. I love your articles they are very mind pleasing.. You can have a look at my blog if you are interested in reading non mainstream literature.. I think you will find my stuff quite interesting to read too.
Cheers and all the best from me..
Goldie
@kyriacos Someone once mentioned to me - all we will remain is a hole in the wall! Intrigued, I asked the person to elaborate and he explained - When a person dies, his relatives/friends will hang a photo in the wall. After a few years, the photo will cloud over with dust. Still more years and the frame will crack and glass will crack. Some more years will pass and the photo frame will fall and perish and just a nail in the wall will remain. After a few decades, even the nail will rust and perish, leaving only a hole in the wall!! The story demonstrates that, whatever we do, we will most likely be forgotten. So why attach so much importance to what others will think of the routine that we carry out because we are genetically programmed to do so.
Sorry if I rambled but your post triggered this chain of thought. Thank you for your thought provoking blog. Upvoted
I am more into wildlife blogs with my musings accompanying original photos. I never attach the tag of philosophy to my musings because I am really not an expert. I rather seek input from Steemians. I have posted a blog with a question on Innocence- Does it really exist? based on my original wildlife photos and musings. I would be honored if you take a look and when you have time. Your valuable comments will be eagerly awaited. Thanks
I agree with what you said, about "Only a whole in the wall will be left." I have come to realize that we spend too much time trying hard to do things that we believe will get others to remember us by. People should spend more time enjoying each and every day, appreciating every moment instead of wasting so much time trying to do things that others may never even remember about us after a few year of our passing from this world. Please, understand that I am not saying that you should not try to do some of the things that you would like others to remember you once you depart from here. My point is for us not to over do it. We should be careful not to be obsessed with the idea of being remembered while neglecting to enjoy the little things in life, such as family, friends and simply the little things that bring us joy.
If you live a life where you try your best to enjoy each and every day and most of all spread a little bit of that joy to others where ever you go, as well as living a life where you try to uplift others and bring a little sun shine in their lives especially in time of needs is more than trying to do the so call Big thing that we may think that will stick in the mind of others.
The little things such as a smile, a hello, or just calling someone when they are down are usually the things that we will be remembered by. I know that is true for me. In a time of my greatest need, the things I remember the most was the prayer of a former church sister who didn't have a car. She was unable to visit me and my family, but she would call each week to pray with me over the phone in order to lift my spirit. I know she was busy, but she made time each week to call me. ( Although it's been years since I have seen her. I don't even remember her name, but it's those feelings of love and care that remain with me." Things such as someone taking the time to visit you when you are ill while they themselves are not well as my former Pasteur had done are the things people will remember.
Let's not waste so much time trying so hard to do things to be remembered by. If you enjoy life and put others first, there will be at least one person who will remember you till their last breath. They may not remember your name, but they will remember how you made them feel. They may even tell others about your kindness which could live for decades or even centuries from the same story being passed on. Let's not focus too much on "What To Do So We Can Be Remembered," instead let's focus on "How To Be" so others will want to imitate the life you have lived.
Not even the wall will remain, or the hole. nothing will remain in less than the time you were alive.
philosophers are no experts. nobody is. everybody pretends to have the greater sum of given knowledge. expertise is a bullshit word.
Not only that, but there will be a time when the rock we call Earth will be no more as well. The whole of humanity is likely to go extinct in the really long run in one way or another.
whatever we do, we will most likely be forgotten -----------> true! i almost get away with shop lifting
Followed, resteemed and upvoted - thank you for this very thought provoking post!
I don't seek to be remembered. I seek to further liberty. If liberty is furthered by my physical presence here on Earth, then I have succeeded in my primary life's objective.
Ideas cannot be killed. Our meat sacks may be mortal, but we, as electrical beings, are immortal. Who we are does not matter compared to what we further by our efforts.
We are electrical for sure!
liberty is always furthered. thing is, never for all.
yes they can. many have.
I suppose I should have written "good ideas." They don't die because people recognize they are good, and there will always be at least a minority that will keep promoting the idea.
You could enslave most of the people on the planet, and a minority will still press for liberty. They may not be successful and pay a heavy price for it, but they will continue to hope and fight for it.
Do you believe most people are bad/evil? I do not. I believe most people are peaceful, and they have no problem with consent and voluntary interaction.
I believe most people try to survive and they are just caught up in situations where the losers call the others "Evil"
Yeah, I don't believe in "evil people." There are evil actions or evil lack of action. It's something that is done or not done. Some people think guns are evil for example. Nope!
Than I shall build a pyramid! TAKE THAT SCIENCE!
I remember listening to a song by Cliff Edwards and wondering who he was. Apparently he was a huge star of his generation in the 20s through to the 40s. He did the voice acting for Jiminy Cricket and sold millions of records. He died penniless and unknown in a nursing home. That was someone who was forgotten within his own lifetime.
It's sad to think about but we often don't know much about our own grandparents. I learned after my Irish grandfather's death that he had served in The Parachute Regiment in the Suez canal zone conflict and he was once a lumberjack in Canada, he never told me those things when living, not even when I joined the army.
You have to do something really special to be even a footnote in history. How many Sumerian kings can you name? Who were the nobles who forced John to sign the Magna Carta?
exactly. we know almost nothing about most things that give meanings in our life yet we expect to be treated different.
Interesting perspective on life! The way I see it is, that energy is transferred, never destroyed. Leaving something behind is just a part of life, whether its something we do intentionally or not - we may trigger a mere thought in someone else's mind, plant a tree, give someone a sum of money, or just some advice, it is in some way related to us! But, we shouldn't be so attached to trying to be remembered for who we are, because as you pointed out, how we are remembered is highly subjective. Nice :)
the sheer amount of small chaotic events taking place render any effort a sheer noise.
@hxzeleyes!
It would be great to see you at our steemit meet up on 16th September in Birmingham!
If you can make it, there will be a free steemit t-shirt for you, live music from @branhmusic and 150 pounds behind the bar,
Please see link for more details! https://steemit.com/meet-up/@starkerz/promo-uk-steemit-meet-up-everyone-welcome-from-far-and-wide-come-see-the-steemit-laser