Do Memories Hinder Or Help People In Their Effort To Learn From The Past And Succeed In The Present?

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Do memories of the past often sway people from learning from the past? Some claim that memories obstruct people’s ability to learn from the past, stating that certain unfavorable moments remain scorched in the memories to prevent people from being able to learn anything from them. However, this stance is flawed. Memories, whether good or bad, aid people in learning from the events that have occurred in the past and ultimately lead them to succeed. The examples of Steven Jobs, Sir Earnest Shackleton, and Hester Prynne substantiate this point. First, the example of Steve Jobs demonstrates how people can learn from past memories. Dropping out of Reed College, Jobs took a daring venture into the dynamic market of personal computers. Having grown up near the Silicon Valley, Jobs started out very well and co-founded the computer company Apple. However, instead of trying to achieve the practical and the possible, Jobs’ intentions lay in his ambition and potential that he saw in the ever-growing computer market. Thus, Jobs often went out of line with the company trying to invest in projects that would yield no revenue in the short run. Eventually, Jobs was banned from the very company that he helped found. However disheartened and crestfallen Jobs was, he did not fall. Instead, he learned from this tragic event and ultimately returned to his company as a CEO in 2000. Although the memory of being banned from the chair of his own company must have been despairing, Jobs nonetheless learned from his mistakes that were imprinted in his memory. Therefore, the success of Steve Jobs shows how memories can help people learn from their mistakes. Second, the example of Sir Earnest Shacklelton in the novel Endurance also shows how memories can benefit people to learn from the past. Shackleton was an experienced sailor, especially in the seas of the Antarctic. During the many

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