Memories and Reveries

In Observations on Man, David Hartley writes, “an attentive Person may also observe great Differences in the Kind and Degree of Relish which he has for the Beauties of Nature in Different Periods of his Life.” The sentiment here is that people will perceive of things differently at different stages in their life. The example we used in class was an adult visiting their childhood home and noticing all the changes that have happened, but realizing that those changes happened within the person and in the home. That experience is a pleasure but is also heartbreaking for us.

Personally, when I’ve gone back to my high school, I have found the experience to be conflicting even though it was only four years ago. Some of those feelings are results of the fact that I have changed, both physically and mentally. I look different, my teachers look different. Some walls have changed colors and the lockers look smaller. I’m more mature now but when I walk the halls, I can remember how I felt walking between classes. Though the trip down memory lane is nice, it is also sad because I realize how far removed I am from this place that essentially set me on the path to who I am.

The preface that was read in class about the boatman looking into the water  feels closely related to Hartley’s concept. The person having to search through “murky water” in order to remember distorted memories agrees with Hartley’s insight about our perceptions changing over time. As we get older, the water levels rise and we have more to search through to find our memories. We may misremember those memories or alter them in the current state of mind. Some memories are even lost (in the tide, if you will).

This depiction really struck me and I liked the combination of the two themes.