Philosophy - Is Memory Reliable

How would I prove that my memory or thinking procedures are trusted? There actually is no good method to address this question. My first thought was, well that ought to be easy, because I can show my memory is dependable by the truth that I keep in mind where class is every day that I appear. If I can keep in mind where the classroom is, that must show my memory is reliable. However then I realized that I'm counting on a memory to come up with that example.

This makes the concern seem like a paradox to even try and address, because in order to find out if there is a way to show my memory is trusted, I should utilize my memory to recall memories that might use, and I should likewise assume the accuracy of the memories I might draw from as example. I can not show memory reliability by utilizing logic drawn from the assumption that the memories I used are trusted.

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This seems to develop a misconception in logic before even getting started.

In reality it seems easy to say that yes, although our memories are sometimes incorrect, generally they are right. We understand this due to the fact that we recall from our memory lot of times every day to do the simplest tasks. If our memory was that flawed, we would be unable to make it through on a day to day basis. Where do I get water? How do I get food? How do I drive a cars and truck? While this does reveal that we have the ability to rely on our memories to finish daily tasks, it does not show our memory is consistently real.

We can not make certain that any memory we've ever had actually occurred exactly the method we remember it (unless product sources are used, like video or pictures to support the memory) due to the fact that of a plethora of issues with memory like deception and distortion. Memories can be quickly manipulated and altered in several methods, from basic re-telling where little details might be unsuspectingly changed each time a memory is told, to the power of idea in which a totally false memory can be implanted into an individuals mind and thought to be real by that person.

Although these memories may seem very real to us, even to the point where we are willing to fight for their reliability, they are still factually false. This actually happens a lot! Although it practice these issues with memory exist, they are mostly ignored because we typically use other methods beyond memory alone to help collaborate what we remember. We are validated by others who share the same memory, photos, ect. So although in a philosophical world it seems impossible to find solid clear evidence that memory is truly reliable, but it seems silly, and even dangerous to continually doubt that memory can be reliably called upon.

For example, I decide to cross the road without looking both ways because I cannot be sure that being hit by a car would kill me. I might have seen and heard of people being killed by cars in the past, but if I doubt my own memory how could I be sure that speeding cars have the potential to actually kill people. Because of this seemingly correct logic I might then be hit by a car and become a victim of what many would say is clear common sense. So although there is no good way to prove the reliability of memory, we must still rely on it all the same.