07 April 2009

Amnesia...the New Bliss?


After reading the article on PROPRANOLOL do you think that if the FDA approved its use it would have a positive effect or a negative effect on society? Why - explain...

11 comments:

Toni said...

I think that Propranolol would have a negative effect on society. So much of who you are is based off of events from the past and decisions and steps you took to where you are now. If one was to distort their memories then they are losing that piece of themselves. Each time a person experiences something they will be learning it new if they had used Propranolol. Though I agree that it is tragic if a child witnessed their parents' murder the human body already has instinctive ways to cope with such horror. I agree with the article when it says that "our society is traditionally terrible at judicious drug use." Moreover this drug started out as a heart drug so already it could be considered abusing the original purpose, it will only get worse from here. The, who is to say that one case is more important than another, especially when the people looking to use the drug think that their case is worthy. I think that medicine should focus more on things like curing cancer.

T-Money said...

I do not think that the FDA should approve this drug. There is too many frightening non-intended uses for this drug. As in all cases with abilities that mankind has gotten though out history their is the ability for good and evil, it is up to our discretion to use it appropriately. The old agitated "with great power come great responsibility" with this drug the potential be benefits are grossly outweighed be its potential for abuse. Their are few positives to this drug. It could help children or adults that have suffered a traumatic event that has them in pain. Such as someone witnessing the murder of a loved one, a bad childhood fear that has is got them. On the other hand the harmful uses could be by a rapeseed so the people that he hurt can't remember. Or by some one to make things he or she says more believable. The list can and does go on and on. For People to have the ability to select some memories to remember or forget is going to far. This SOCIETY that we are in has already has enough control on what he eat, say, do with time and so on and you know there those people the can't really handle it as well as they should. People are all different and have fully have the to do what they want and how they want it but a few just can not help them self or are too not nice, not respectful or just do not know better about what the are doing or saying. For example people though out daily live though out swears and hurtful comments that they don't know is hurtful or don't care. It could be that just because a lot of other stupid people are doing it that they do it to. Another example is America's health people know that most fast foods are bad for them but they are still eating it. I think that people are too destructed with stuff that is not really too important to the world in general or the don't want to know, which in that cases means that they don't care about them self. So being that person has to su...[I don't want to go there, its been a bad day for me] Anyway people that swears a lot or use directory comments, I think need to think a little more about what that does to others even the ones they don't take to. Recycling is another [this bothers me ] recycling is not really not that hard; yes it takes more effort but it is makes a big difference on our environment not even on the big picture but our everyday lives. Recycling is not a new and it is way far from being a new idea. People just don't fully think things out to there fullest potential. For instance lets take NHS. They use a lot of lots of electricity in standby power. For those of out there that don't know what that is it is the energy consumption of some electrical device when it is off. Any thing that has a remote, a clock, a transformer (cellar phone charges ect...) all contently (all night use some amount of power). In the school they are the VCR/DVD player, smart board projector,TVs,printers when on,computer monitors[that most stay on all night (probably)],computer speaker transformers, laptop chargers, motion sensors for the lights and the computers have clock in it. Alone the use next to no power at all but all of them in almost every classroom adds up. Now the school does have a program that remotely shutdown all the computer lab computers which they run daily at 3:30 pm from the drive that I am not supposed to know about so they do do so do some put they can do more [I think]. Back on topic now; once memories, along with certain physical characteristics shape who we are. Like to quote from Johnny 5 "My memories are me, if they lose power I die" [good movie] our interaction with the world shapes use more than we think becuse it is happining all the time, we are conditioned be our memoirs on how we socialize, view symbols and events. It gives us positive reaction when we do something that others around us find pleasing like following a fad or doing something that is against our better judgment. People tend to cluster together rather than being alone because people have great fear of the unknown, anything that they don't understand or done know about is unknown to them. This fear is isolation something people don't useful do because they find it less useful for there own happiness. This is relevant for the fact that thoughts procsses have to be made directly from past events one recollection of the past. Next what we think we remember and what actually happened can differ and can change. Humans are not perfect and so our memories are not ether. Over time things fade and become distorted but still useful for us to be who we are. Things we learn should not be blatantly descanted events that happen shape us the good and the bad. Everyone has some thing that they have done that they are not proud of and would much rather not take responsibility for but we do and must. Our minds are plastic and is an assume computer that can do things that man-made computers can't dream of [ha ha ...funny] like thinking in abstracted and non logic thoughts as well as adapting to differing needs. We can hold differing view points and try to work with things that don't made scene. But one of the coolest is it's ability to make a mistake like an easy math equation today you may get the right answer, next week thinking fast you may not. This non digital thought is so cool in the that you can be to do the exacted same thing and get a different result. This is how we adopted on evolve from the use of our memories without the it is like erasing our own personal history and without history we are doomed to repeat it. Just as we repeat something tiring to succeed. With this drug we would be removing parts of ourselves, parts that we may need later. Events that we got though good or bad make us a better person for or from it. Without all of the important ones it would be like not all there some thing like an mp3 file. An mp3 [mp3 is short for mpeg-L3 which is an acronym for motion picture exports group layer 3] it makes assumptions about the sound that was really recorded [I personally don't like this format and it does bother me that others do but I cannot impose my will onto other] the format takes every recorded sound above and below the rang of an average human hearing [That is 20-20,000hz] and chops it off. this affects the sound quality by removing what is unimportant but really is.[ For you out there that think that is not important consider THIS a DVD movie holds sound from 10-96,000hz, But most system can not reproduces those sounds] People in society now have too much access to information, instead of going out of ones way and focus on getting that info they grace it like a cow on grass. Sort of like some eating habits. People now have the ability to keep content that they like close to them at all times and by being able to do that with your memories that effects your thoughts and your personality by keeping thing the same because they are not afraid.[If people have no new memories then they stay the same and they are just like a stick in the mud.] memories should be free flowing any conflict your brain will deal with it because your computer can dream and adapted to overcome. Memorize are powerful effects on personality for instance phobias is a learned behavior. You fear regular spider not manly because it can hurt you or it body is in a different shape, but you seen other people fear spiders so you go wow there must be something threatening about it so you think "I will also stay away". Some other people have a fear of hights that is because people don't want to get hurt or to die which they also fear because ti is unknown to them. So not all phobias are bad that help keep us safe and so do our memories as they define use shape use and reform us all the time. This is about being open to the experiences of life and all it ha to offer without memories yesterday would not matter, today wouldn't ether and what would you do right now if you could not remember doing it. "if the candle light if fire than the meal was cooked along time ago."--SG1
You the fire influences society by given off radiation but what you used the "meal" is long gone. The "meal is your memories just as the heat given off by the the fire is also warm memory for the ones around you. Your effect on people starts from your interpretation of people around you. That is how it we advance society be affecting others if it does not take effect what have we or you accomplished. It is like the Folding project at Standford. That is what I think if you like it than you will remember too and an effect as been made be forming a memory. If not like some people who don't like me ideas on how humanity will destroy itself with a self replicating microscopic machine. Than I have made a point that by getting rind of something does not make it go away it is like "barring you head in the sand".[Now I did not mean to say anything mean or insensitive about what people fear, like, job or what they
do or use. This is my thoughts so if everything staid the way it is, than no harm done.[nothing lost, nothing gained][life is to shirt]]Without remembering the bad how can you tell what is good? Without recalling pain how can it be avoided again? Its needed; Remember the TITANIC

Katie said...

First I'd like to say, "Oh my goodness" to the previous comment. I think approving the use of Propranolol would have a negative effect on society. Allowing for your "bad" memories to be dimmed in your mind, could have a very adverse affect to your role in society. While it might relieve stress from that particular incident, it could certainly cause more stress in other areas. In most instances, the memories that cause people such disturbance, they do not experience alone. For the people who went through that experience with you, it would be very disorienting to have you not recall that memory with the same intensity as you once did. It could make them feel very isolated, and cause them to treat you differently. Going to the extreme, it could even make them lose their mind. If they realize that you had chosen this for yourself, that you had taken a drug to make you "forget" they could become very jealous or resentful.
Generally speaking, we should try to strive towards a greater awareness of the world rather than an altered perception. Our knowledge of past events, and our memories are often the only things we can depend on in times of crisis. While everyone perceives things differently, we can at least accept our own perceptions as true. If we were to alter the way we remember things, then we would begin to doubt much more of our lives. And with uncertainty often comes chaos.
The use of propranolol would deter us from weighting our decisions heavily. It would be easy to take our every day choices lightly. Without the fear of psychological consequences many would not hesitate to make a choice that would result in a temporary happiness. With no regrets and no consequence there would be no motivation to change. Where would we find a purpose, a reason for going on with our lives.
Finally, even if the FDA approved a responsible usage of Propranolol, as with all drugs it would likely get grossly abused.

DanielleDalena said...

I think that the use of propanolol would have a negative effect on society. i think people are basically defined by their memories. People learn from their mistakes; people base future decisions on past ones. This would not happen if someone was under the influence of propanolol. This would be negative to society as a whole because each person and their past, present, and future contribute to how the society runs. I understand that some people have very traumatic events in their life but i think that every person can LEARN from those events and make changes in their life (possibly in a positive way). I think that approving propanolol would be approving another drug that will be used and overused for the wrong reasons and that's all.

j.riordan25 said...

I think after reading the article on Propranolol that if the FDA approved its uses it would have a negative effect on society. I think it would be bad to have people recalling there bad memories to erase them because, they will never really go away. Also, people learn from what they do, so if you were to "erase" there memories, then how would they learn what is right from what is wrong? I think Propranolol would have a negative effect on society because, everyone learns from what they do, and if everyone wanted to get rid of there bad memories no-one would know what to do. Some people have really bad memories and I think when they used this product and have to remember all the details from what happened it will only make it worse, and not get rid of the problem at all. I also think that people will overuse this drug to their advantage and that wouldn't be good either.

Danielle Grecki said...

I think that if the FDA approved propanolol that it would have a negative effect on society in the way that people will do more harmful things. I think that if there is a drug to "erase" your memories people will be more willing to do bad things because they wont have to remember it but they can say "I did that!". No matter how stupid that sounds its completely true. No one wants to regret doing something so whats there to regret if you dont remember doing it? I also think that people learn from their mistakes and yes, there are certain circumstances that may not be your fault and you have every right in the world to not remember but in the long run you the likeliness that you would have propanolol in your system at that time is nearly none to impossible. So keep it banned and let people learn from their mistakes like they should.

kelsey morander said...

I think if Propranolol were FDA approved, it would have a negative effect on society. I think this because Propranolol may be misused if it gets into the wrong hands. People may mistake this drug for an easy way out. To escape from their minor problems or memories that their not fond of. However, if used as needed, I believe it can help by preventing suicides and other tragic events. For example, a child with severe psychological problems as a result of witnessing his/her parents murder could potentially benefit from this drug. Although, with people just wanting to use this drug for unnecessary reasons, the FDA cannot approve this drug because it will definitely lead to chaos, and a negative effect on society.

Alessandra said...

I think that if the FDA approved Propranolol it would have a positive effect on society. This would happen only with extreme measures for the use. It should only be used for serious situations, like when someone comes back from war and they have trouble getting through every day. It shouldn't be something that you take to forget an old boyfriend or girlfriend. It should definitely be restricted for a doctor to supply only and to be given at a doctors office. In no way i think that it should be something you can get from a pharmacy. I see that not everyone else decided that it would be positive, i agree with what they are saying, but reading some things, they agree that with certain situations that it should be used. This is why i think it would have a positive effect because there are always circumstances that people agree for it to be used.

allissia18 said...

After reading the article about propranolol i think that it would have a negative effect on society. I believe that the quote "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is a very accurate quote when describing the negative side of erasing parts of your memory. If you were able to erase dramatic scenes from your life then we would all become weak. Every little problem would become a nightmare. I agree that it can be used in severe cases but, i do not think that it should be something that is open to the public or relied on. I do not think this case should even be considered, your memory is worth to much to even chance erasing parts of it.

HeatherSJ said...

In my opinion i think that the drug propranolol wouldnt have the positive effect on a society that people would suspect it to have. Propranolol is a drug designed to dim one's memories in order to achieve a better feeling of self satisfaction or relief. I do understand that there are some cases that people need to be relieved of such instances. However, there is also cases that this drug would be used in order to take away piece of their own memories that would take away from experiences that compose one's character, and whose to say that this drug couldnt become addicting? I think that with moderation, and evaluation of one's case I think that this drug could be destributed accordingly. Another aspect of this drug however, is that its role in dimming ones specific memory, how can this drug be able to search through your memories, and find ones that upset one most? I think that eventually this drug will gradually breakdown memory all together. Memory itself is an important aspect of the human body for learning, and remembering life changing experiences, and i dont think that this drug would have the effect people are looking for.

bart.bednarczyk said...

I think that Propranolol, like any drug, would have positive and negative effects on society. It would be positive, because it could really help the people who have been through an extremely disturbing experience. Like if a kid had to watch his parents get murdered, they would have to live with this forever. I know that this is an extreme example, but I am sure its happened before. Something like this drug would be able to make life bearable for an individual who had been through something like this. It would have to be monitored very, very closely by a doctor and be administered to patients at the office only. But something like Propranolol could also have very bad effects on society. No matter how good something is, there will always be the people who abuse it. I mean pain killers are good for people who have gone through an accident and really do have pain, but pain killers are also abused by many people so they can get a high off of it. Paint is good, to paint your house or make something look nice, but there are people who sniff it to get high. What I am trying to say is that no matter how well Propranolol could be monitored, and how much good it could cause, there will always be the people who want it to get high, and will abuse it.