Fighting Memories (Chapters 4-5)

The human memory, it is one of the most interesting and helpful things we humans have. It is incredible what the memory can do and we don’t even think of it. What would be of us if we didn’t remember what happened to us a year ago, a month ago or 10 minutes ago? We couldn’t exist. In fact, amnesia is a horrible disease that ruins your memory and this is the saddest thing to see on a person. For you to have to repeat them your name is pretty terrible. I couldn’t imagine how it would be. Dawkins tells us a little thing about this, “A notable advance was the evolutionary ‘invention’ of memory.” (Page 50) When I read this I started to think the importance that the ability of remembering is something crucial for human evolution and for human existence.

“Hawks always fight as hard and as unrestrainedly as they can, retreating only when seriously injured. Doves merely threaten in a dignified conventional way, never hurting anybody.” (Page 70) This is a very interesting example. Dawkins is now starting to talk to us about how we are aggressive and fight. Also as I read this, I thought of how every single living species on the planet competes against every other living species for its survival. I thought this example was pretty funny because I could relate it to high school people. In around 60% of every party, there is a fight, and you can perfectly distinguish these two types of fighters and of people. Some that are always trying to hit everyone and the others who are always trying to fight but never actually hit anybody, its only words.