Learning From Clive

Meet Clive. Clive’s chronic amnesia has fascinated people for decades. To me, Clive’s condition reminds me of those who have been there for me. Although you don’t have amnesia, one of our most important tasks in life is to remember where we come from as an entry way for living fully (A Good Reason to Remember). So, perhaps Clive’s condition is also a reminder of the impact that “not remembering” can have on those we love most. 

Consider these reflection prompts after you watch the video:

• “You have to begin to lose your memory, if only in bits and pieces, to realize that memory is what makes our lives. Life without memory is no life at all…our memory is coherence, our reason, our feeling, even our action. Without it, we are nothing…” (Luis Bunuel)

• Many good people do not remember much of their life as a way to not feel the pain of a normal human life. We also lose connection with joyful memories, too. 

• Pathos (experiencing pain/suffering)  is connected to these other words: pathology, patience, empathy, and passion. All pathology comes from pain avoidance. 

• Gladness is a feeling we feel when we are willing to experience the other feelings: anger, sadness, fear, hurt, lonely, guilt, and shame. Gladness = joy + sadness over time.

Written by Colton Shannon, Ph.D.