What is the value of keeping diaries and thoughts from years ago. Are they reall

1. 85

   Electro-Denizenposted 13 years ago

   What is the value of keeping diaries and thoughts from years ago. Are they really worth keeping?
   
   You hear accounts of people who get rid of everything they own to start afresh -  diaries, photos, memorabilia, everything goes. Is this a courageous thing, or craziness?  Are all of these things really worth keeping in the long run? Does it really help with personal development?

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2. 86

   Simone Smithposted 13 years ago

   Here's one good reason to hold on to diaries: our memories change! Every time we remember a past event, we're re-assembling it in our minds, and scientific studies have shown that memories evolve over time (and become less accurate). Writing down thoughts, events, details, and opinions right away can give you some evidence of what happened in your life and who you were as a person that will NOT change over time. I think that's pretty valuable!
   
   ... Though I can also understand why some people would want that evidence destroyed. Sometimes we WANT to re-write our pasts, and do so in our heads.... but can't we change those journal entries. The only option is to destroy the evidence!

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   lambservantposted 13 years ago

   I love to look back on my journals to see how God got me through difficult times; to observe the changes in me since the time of my journaling; to be reminded of the times of blessings, which give me hope that I will find them again; to remind myself that hard times do not last forever. There is great value in saving journals. But I think also it depends on the person and how they journal. If reading past journals brings pain, then that is not for you.

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