At the risk of sounding morbid and stating the obvious, all of us will die one day.  But assuming there’s no apocalyptical event that wipes out humanity, or more accurately its technology, then the digital records of ourselves will essentially last forever.

This has huge implications. In the past only a miniscule number of people gets remembered by history, while hundreds of billions lived, died, and were forgotten.

But in the future, people can form a much clearer and sharper impressions of us through our photos, videos, and writings.  Social networking sites such as Facebook makes this archive especially easy.  We slowly accumulate a digital record of our lives that will be here forever…  How will we be judged?  Tragically wasted, or full of life?  And are we recording our real selves, or merely a carefully crafted image presented to the outside world?

Pictures and videos are great for immortalizing our appearances & actions.  But what about our thoughts?  Unless we take the time to write them down.  No one will truly know who we really are. 

So start writing.  And imagine yourself as a recorder of history.  Because in a very real sense, you are.