Hello, Gav! I'm pretty new myself, but you ask an
interesting question.
I think the first step in classifying memory within
the MoQ is to break down memory itself into its many
different forms and then begin classifying each form.
I would say that not all memory comes from the same
sources and should be dealt with differently. Off the
top of my head, I would separate memory into
biological and nonbiological, although this might not
be the most useful split. I only do so because of the
difference between purely intellectual memory, social
memory that usually takes the form of "etiquette" and
what is called "muscle memory."
These types all come from the brain, but each class is
an individual process that recognizes different
patterns within the different levels of the MoQ. I
will think of examples for biological, social, and
intellectual, but I'm sure there are examples of
inorganic as well.
For a biological example, a baseball player up to bat
doesn't have the time to judge each individual pitch
by its direction and speed the whole time it's in
motion. If the pitcher throws at the batter's head,
he can't afford to spend too much time watching the
ball as it's hurling straight for his head. He sees
small recognizable patterns in the behavior of the
pitcher and the ball itself and "without thought"
knows to dodge the incoming pitch. His body knew what
to do long before his mind could make any decision to
tell him to move.
Now for a social example, I would use manners as a
good form of social memory. Sometimes, good manners
don't make a lot of sense, but we follow them almost
like a second nature. The way we behave around others
is made up of habits, some good, a few bad, and are a
form of memory. I don't have to think very hard what
I should do after a sneeze. "Excuse me" comes out of
my mouth before I can even make the decision. I
exercize "table manners" when eating a meal. I act
polite and friendly when meeting another person for
the first time. I don't have to make these decisions
beforehand, they come quite naturally as patterns I've
already discovered in the past.
And last, intellect. Cramming for a final; memorizing
notes on a sheet of music; collecting all the
statistics imaginable in preparation for the upcoming
Superbowl; these are all examples of intellectual
memory. They are the simple process of recognizing
facts and patterns so that they can be organized in
the mind and put to use in the future.
I guess I should say that memory itself in most cases
is a highly intellectual process that consists of
picking out patterns in the physical, social and
intellectual worlds so that they can be of some use in
the future. It saves mistakes from being made that
have already been made. However you classify it, it's
sure a useful tool!
All the best,
Raymond
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