You’d Be Surprised How People Perceive You

Summary

The script narrates the harrowing experience of Claire, who wakes from a coma with no memory of her past. After a night out in Austin, Texas, ends in a fight, Claire suffers a severe head injury leading to retrograde amnesia. As she interacts with her mother, sister, boyfriend, and friends, she receives conflicting accounts of her personality and the events leading to her injury, leaving her to grapple with the question of her true identity.

Takeaways

• 🌃 The story begins on a normal night out in Austin, Texas, with Claire and her friends, leading to an unexpected turn of events.
• 😵‍♀️ Claire wakes up in a hospital with no memory, surrounded by a sterile white room and intense headache, indicating a severe incident.
• 👩‍⚕️ A doctor informs Claire that she has been in a coma for several days due to a head injury, setting the stage for her memory loss.
• 👩 Claire's mother is present and provides initial comfort, but also reveals the shocking news of Claire's memory loss.
• 🥊 The incident causing Claire's injury was a bar fight where she tried to protect her friend Mary, showing her protective nature.
• 🧠 Claire suffers from retroactive amnesia, which affects her episodic and autobiographical memory, but spares her procedural memory.
• 🤔 Despite the doctor's reassurances, Claire struggles with the reality of her situation, unable to recall her past or identity.
• 👧 Claire's mother describes her as shy, quiet, and preferring peace, which contrasts with other accounts of her personality.
• 👦 Chris, Claire's boyfriend, paints a different picture, describing her as impulsive, feisty, and someone who enjoys simple pleasures.
• 👭 Mary, Claire's best friend, sees her as tough, outgoing, and adventurous, highlighting her fun-loving and risk-taking side.
• 🤷‍♀️ Claire's other friend, Shannon, describes her as kind, pragmatic, and careful, suggesting a more reserved and thoughtful personality.
• 😖 The conflicting descriptions of Claire's personality from those closest to her leave her confused and questioning her true identity.

Q & A

What was the initial setting of the story before things turned bad for Claire?

Claire was out with a couple of friends and her boyfriend in Austin, Texas. They had a few drinks at one of their apartments and then went to a couple of bars in the area.

How did Claire find herself in the hospital?

Claire woke up in a hospital room with no memory of how she got there. She was told she had been in a coma for several days after hitting her head and causing severe brain injury.

What condition did Claire develop after waking up from the coma?

Claire developed retroactive amnesia, which affected her episodic, autobiographical, and declarative memory, but spared her procedural memory.

How did Claire's mother describe her personality before the incident?

Claire's mother described her as quiet, shy, closed off, but knowing exactly what she likes and wants, loving to spend time with friends, and preferring big and extravagant events.

What contrasting personality traits did Claire's sister Sammy attribute to Claire?

Sammy described Claire as a 'shit-stirrer' who is always ready to fight, suggesting a more confrontational and outgoing personality.

How did Claire's boyfriend Chris characterize her?

Chris characterized Claire as beautiful, sweet, preferring simple things and alone time, impulsive, and feisty, with a tendency to start things to see reactions from people and situations.

What was the event that led to Claire's injury according to her friends?

Claire got injured when she tried to protect her friend Mary from a fight at the bar, got hit in the head, and fell, causing a severe brain injury.

What conflicting accounts did Claire receive about her role in the bar fight?

Claire's mother did not mention her starting the fight, while her boyfriend Chris and friend Mary said she initiated the confrontation, which is in contrast with her sister Sammy's and friend Shannon's accounts.

How did Shannon describe Claire's personality and the incident at the bar?

Shannon described Claire as kind, smart, pragmatic, and careful, not one to cause drama or be involved in stupid situations. According to Shannon, Claire was caught in the middle of a misunderstanding.

What was the emotional impact of the situation on Claire?

Claire felt very little and struggled to understand the emotions of the situation due to her retroactive amnesia, which made it difficult for her to connect with her past self.

What was the central dilemma Claire faced after talking to the people closest to her?

Claire faced the dilemma of reconciling the conflicting descriptions of her personality and the events leading to her injury, as each person had a different account, leaving her uncertain about her true identity.

Outlines

00:00

😟 Traumatic Amnesia: Claire's Awakening

The script introduces Claire, a young woman who wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of her life or the incident that led to her coma. After a night out with friends and her boyfriend in Austin, Texas, which ended in a fight, Claire suffered a severe head injury that caused her to lose consciousness and fall into a coma for six days. Upon waking, she is met by a stranger who turns out to be her mother, and a doctor who informs her of her condition. Claire's mother recounts the events of the fight, revealing Claire's protective nature despite her current lack of memory. The doctor explains that Claire is experiencing retroactive amnesia, affecting her autobiographical memory but sparing her procedural memory. As she undergoes recovery, Claire grapples with the reality of her situation, feeling disconnected from her own identity.

05:00

🤔 Conflicting Identities: Claire's Search for Self

In this paragraph, Claire's journey to rediscover her identity continues as she interacts with various people from her life. Her mother describes her as shy and introverted, preferring quiet and luxurious experiences, while her sister Sammy humorously paints her as a troublemaker. Her boyfriend Chris sees her as beautiful and sweet, yet impulsive and defensive, with a tendency to provoke reactions. Mary, a close friend, describes Claire as tough, outgoing, and adventurous, recalling the incident at the bar where Claire stood up for her. Another friend, Shannon, portrays Claire as kind, smart, pragmatic, and careful, suggesting she was caught in a misunderstanding during the fight. Each person provides a different perspective on Claire's character, leaving her with a fragmented and contradictory sense of self. The paragraph ends with Claire alone, contemplating the conflicting descriptions and questioning her true identity.

Keywords

💡Coma

Coma is a state of unconsciousness where a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond to stimuli, and does not exhibit voluntary actions. In the video, Claire is found in a coma, having been injured severely enough to be unresponsive for several days. This sets the stage for her memory loss and the unfolding mystery of her identity.

💡Memory

Memory refers to the mental process of retaining and recalling information. In the script, Claire's memory loss is central to the narrative, as she cannot remember her past, her relationships, or her identity after waking from a coma. The term is used to describe the gap in her recollection and the challenge she faces in trying to piece together her life.

💡Retroactive Amnesia

Retroactive amnesia is a condition where a person loses the ability to recall previously learned information. It is a key concept in the video as the doctor explains to Claire that she has developed this condition, affecting her autobiographical memory and leaving her with no recollection of her past, despite her intact procedural memory.

💡Identity

Identity encompasses the characteristics and qualities that make up who a person is. The video's theme revolves around Claire's struggle with her identity as she cannot recognize herself or her past. The term is used to describe the multifaceted nature of self and the confusion that arises when that self is lost.

💡Episodic Memory

Episodic memory is the ability to recall specific events or episodes that one has experienced. In the script, the doctor mentions that Claire's episodic memory is affected by her retroactive amnesia, which is why she cannot remember personal events or the details of her life before the accident.

💡Autobiographical Memory

Autobiographical memory is the recollection of the events of one's life. The script uses this term to describe the type of memory that Claire has lost, which includes memories of her personal experiences, relationships, and life story.

💡Procedural Memory

Procedural memory refers to the memory for skills and habits, which is different from declarative memory that involves facts and events. The script explains that Claire's procedural memory remains intact, allowing her to perform tasks and understand language, despite her loss of autobiographical memory.

💡Confusion

Confusion in the script is depicted as Claire's state of mind as she tries to make sense of her situation and the conflicting descriptions of her personality and past. It is a recurring theme that highlights the disorientation and uncertainty she experiences due to her memory loss.

💡Personality

Personality refers to the individual characteristics that define a person's thoughts, feelings, and behavior. The video explores the concept of personality through the different accounts of Claire's character given by her family and friends, which are often contradictory, leaving her to question her true nature.

💡Conflict

Conflict in the script is both a literal event, referring to the bar fight that led to Claire's injury, and a metaphorical one, describing the internal and external struggle she faces as she tries to reconcile the different versions of her past and identity presented by those around her.

💡Recollection

Recollection is the act of remembering or bringing back to the mind something from the past. The script uses this term to describe Claire's efforts to recall her identity and history, which are hindered by her amnesia, creating a sense of urgency and frustration.

Highlights

Claire wakes up from a coma with no memory of her past.

Claire suffers from retroactive amnesia after hitting her head.

Claire's mother describes her as quiet, shy, and non-confrontational.

Sammy, Claire's sister, portrays her as a troublemaker and fighter.

Chris, Claire's boyfriend, sees her as beautiful, sweet, impulsive, and feisty.

Mary, Claire's best friend, describes her as tough, outgoing, adventurous, and confident.

Shannon, another friend, views Claire as kind, smart, pragmatic, and careful.

Different people provide conflicting descriptions of Claire's personality.

Claire struggles to reconcile the conflicting accounts of her character.

Claire's memory loss affects her episodic, autobiographical, and declarative memory.

Claire's procedural memory remains intact, allowing her to learn new information.

Claire's friends and family provide different perspectives on the bar fight incident.

Claire's mother and friends have varying recollections of her involvement in the fight.

Claire's identity crisis intensifies as she grapples with the divergent portrayals of herself.

Claire's journey to self-discovery is fraught with confusion and uncertainty.

Transcripts

It started as a normal night. A young woman  named Claire was out with a couple friends and  

her boyfriend in Austin, Texas. The group  had a few drinks at one their apartments  

in downtown and then went out to a couple  of bars in the area. From here, however,  

things would suddenly and severely turn bad. The next thing Claire knew, she was opening  

her eyes to stark lighting that overwhelmed and  blinded her. It was almost as if she was being  

born and seeing light for the first time. As her  vision returned, she noticed her surroundings:  

a sterile, mostly empty, white room. She was  in a bed. Her head was pounding. There was  

a woman in the corner of the room, but Claire  didn’t recognize her. In a delirious confusion,  

she leaned her head up and looked around. “Claire!” the woman in the corner shouted  

as she noticed. The woman rushed toward to  the door of the room and gestured outside  

of it. Almost immediately, a doctor  rushed in and began assisting Claire,  

checking her airways, adjusting various medical  equipment, and administering medication. 

After some time passed, the doctor asked Claire  how she was feeling and what she remembered. 

Claire paused for a moment. “I… I don’t know. Why?” she said. 

“You’ve been in coma for several days. You hit  your head. Don’t worry, though. Everything will  

be ok. Just try to relax. Things should start  coming back to you more and more, and we’ll be  

here to help you and explain everything.” The  doctor paused. “I’m going to let you be with  

your mother for a little while.” The woman who was in the  

corner approached Claire’s bed. “How are you feeling, sweetie?” she asked. 

“I… I don’t know. Weird. I  think,” Claire responded. 

Claire’s mother went on to describe what  happened. She told Claire that she was at a bar  

with two friends, named Shannon and Mary, and her  boyfriend Chris, when someone tried to fight Mary,  

but Claire stepped in and tried to protect her.  In the process, Claire got hit in the head,  

knocking her unconscious, and causing her to  fall and hit her head on the ground. The smack  

against the ground severely injured her brain,  and she was rushed to the hospital, where she  

had remained in a coma for the following six days. Claire didn’t remember any of it. She had no idea  

what happened. But far, far scarier, she couldn’t  remember anything at all. She didn’t recognize  

her mom. She didn’t remember anyone her mom had  mentioned, she didn’t remember having a boyfriend.  

She couldn’t really remember anything from before  waking up just moments ago. She had no idea who  

she was. It was like she had been re-born,  but with an ability to think and understand  

language and concepts. It was an experience  that if she had a stronger reference point  

for how she felt before and knew what she had now  lost, it would have psychologically broken her. 

Claire spent the following couple days resting  and going through assessments, treatments,  

and therapies. After several days had gone by,  and Claire’s memory hadn’t returned at all,  

the doctor eventually concluded that Claire  had developed what is known as retroactive  

amnesia—far worse than he had originally  expected. He explained to Claire and her  

mother that this particular condition was known to  affect episodic, autobiographical, and declarative  

memory, which were essentially responsible for  remembering events, people, contextual frameworks,  

and essentially who someone was and what their  life was like. However, it often doesn’t affect  

the individual’s procedural memory, which included  things like skills and language compression.  

And so, Claire wouldn’t have a difficult  time learning new information moving forward,  

but she would essentially have to relearn  everything about her life, about herself. 

After receiving the news, Claire sat  quietly in the hospital room with her  

mother. Her mother cried for a while.  Claire felt very little, struggling to  

understand the emotions of the situation. Eventually, after some more time passed,  

Claire looked over to her mother  and said, “Can I ask a question?” 

“Sure, of course, honey. What do you need?” “Who am I? Like what am I like?” 

Her mother stood up and  walked over toward the bed. 

“Ok, sure. That’s an easy one. You’re  quiet, always been a little on the shy side,  

closed off a bit, but you know exactly what you  like and want. You always love spending time  

with your friends and going out and doing  things. You like extravagant, big things,  

especially. Big events and luxurious experiences.  You’re sweet and you would never hurt or bother or  

annoy or upset anyone. You don’t like to waste  time or involve yourself in useless or dumb  

things… like a fight, for example. Obviously,  you got caught up in the middle of something,  

but you stood up for your friend, so  that says a lot about who you are.” 

Claire laid her head back and looked  straight up, as if trying to remember  

or perhaps absorb her mother’s words. Vague  threads of memories seemed to appear in her  

consciousness but what were attached on the other  sides remained hung down into shadows of her mind. 

Later that day, Claire’s sister Sammy came in  to visit her. After talking for a little while,  

Sammy said, “If I know you at all, you  definitely started that fight.” Sammy  

laughed a bit. Then continued, “You’ve always  been a shit-stirrer. Always ready to fight.” 

The next day, Claire’s boyfriend Chris came in to  visit, giving her mother some much-needed time to  

go home and rest without worrying as much. Chris sat at the edge of the hospital bed,  

holding Claire’s hand. They talked for a  little while, though they had a difficult  

time finding exactly what to talk about. In the midst of a silence, Claire looked  

at Chris and said, “Can you tell  me who I am? And what I’m like?” 

Chris paused for a moment, clearly overwhelmed. “Well, you… firstly, you’re incredibly beautiful  

and sweet. More generally… you like your alone  time. You prefer the simple things in life,  

like to just spend time by yourself or a night in.  You love pasta and wine. You’re a bit impulsive  

and often kind of like to throw caution to the  wind when making decisions.” He paused for a  

moment, carefully thinking to himself. Then, he  unintentionally gestured a sort of why-not-look.  

“You’re also kind of defensive, kind of… kind  of feisty. Which I personally love about you.  

You always say how you feel. But you also kind  of like starting things sometimes, like to see  

what reactions you can get out of people and  situations. Sometimes you go out over your  

head. Like the fight. Sometimes you start things  with people, and it’s an innocent thing initially,  

but it can get carried away.” There was a brief silence. 

“I started the fight?” Claire said. “Yeah. Did your mom not tell you what happened?” 

“No, she did, but just differently, I think.” “I mean, I saw the whole thing. You and Mary  

went up to these two girls at the bar cause you  guys thought they looked at you weird… even though  

they didn’t. One of them just looked at you guys  casually. But like, you were just in front of  

them. And then you egged them on, and when they  finally pushed back, you guys pushed back further  

and then you all started fighting.” Claire suddenly laid her head back,  

confused and disoriented. “But you’re an incredible person,  

Claire, and an incredible girlfriend.  And I love you more than anything.” 

Two days later, Claire’s friend Mary came in  and visited her. The two sat in the room alone  

while Mary reminisced over things from their  past. After a little while, Claire asked her,  

“Can I ask you something?” “Sure. Yeah.” 

“Can you describe what I’m like? Who am I?” Immediately, Mary answered, “You’re tough  

as hell. Outgoing. Adventurous. Confident. Not  willing to take anyone’s shit. You’re my girl,  

been best friends ever since high  school. Always down to drink and go  

out and have a good time. Down for anything,  honestly.” Mary laughed. “You’re easy going,  

love to take risks and try new things.  Super fun. And you’re an incredible friend.  

You stood up for me when those girls  tried to fight me. So there’s that.” 

Hesitantly, Claire said back,  “So someone tried to fight you?” 

“Yeah, this girl wanted to fight me over like  nothing, and you tried to stop the whole thing,  

but they just kept escalating it.  But you had my back the whole time.” 

Later that same day, Shannon, Claire’s other  friend who was there that night, came to visit. 

Again, at some point, Claire asked Shannon, “Can  you tell me what I’m like? And what happened?” 

“Sure, yeah! Well, firstly, you’re incredibly kind  and smart. I met you in a personal finance course  

in college, and I feel like I knew exactly who you  were as soon as I met you. Pragmatic, calculated,  

careful. You don’t just do things haphazardly.  You’re thoughtful about risks and what you spend  

your time doing and who you spend your time  with. You can kind of be closed-off and to  

yourself a bit, don’t like doing crazy things or  going crazy place, which is just like how I am.  

You don’t like causing drama or being involved  in anything stupid. You were just caught in the  

middle of a misunderstanding. I saw the whole  thing. I was standing with Chris while you and  

Mary went to get a drink, and these two girls I  think like thought you guys were someone else and  

you guys just asked them what they wanted, but  they like prodded back at you for some reason,  

and then it all just erupted, and you were just  there in between it all, trying to stop it.” 

Soon, Shannon left, leaving Claire  alone in the hospital room for a while.  

Claire sat in silence, thinking to herself,  trying to piece everything together. It had been  

a little over a week since she had awoken from her  coma, unaware of she was and what had happened.  

Now, after she had talked with five of the  people supposedly closest to her, asking each  

of them who she was and what had happened and  why, somehow, she still didn’t have any idea.  

Each person described her almost completely  differently—often in complete contradiction  

with each other. But each person had  good reasons, examples, and an obvious  

sense of certainty with what they said. Claire wondered to herself how she could  

be all of those things they described if they  contradicted each other? What was actually true?  

She wondered to herself. Was it all true?  Was none of it? What is true? Who was she?