I believe all people are capable of intense memory capture- most find no need for it. The days are pretty much the same for most people and there'e been no advantage for them in keeping details.
I used to have an excellent memory- it was bad because I usually remembered the hurts or my own failings in painful detail. Now I find my memory is more automatic. I remember stats of things I didn't know I was paying attention to- like how often Eric leaves his shoes on the floor or how much TP is left in every bathroom. It's weird.
But this is what I'm saying. I have no advantage in retaining this information, at times it's even a detriment, but I retain it anyway.
Is it the scope of our worlds that determine what information we keep? Are you passionate or obsessed about your home-world and that is why you remember the minutiae of your home? On a sub-conscious level, am I obsessed with people that I remember nearly every detail of my interactions with them?
I believe that there may be a job out there for you that requires this skill.
I know my diverse love of knowledge has helped me in the wedding business. Since I can talk a little about a lot of things, I can make light conversation with Grandma, cousin Joe and then keep the flower girl busy with origami.
I'm glad someone else sees humor in the new Sunrise Preschool where the Hustler Store used to be. I lived near it when it was the Hustler Store and I passed it recently and saw the change.
Maybe your brain commits things to your long term memory more readily than it shoves your experiences into short term. I used to have a memory like yours, and in some regards I still do, so I have myself wondered what makes a person remember certain things, or certain kinds of things more readily than others.
I know i didn't really offer much debate, but as you say, "meh".
Haha! Seriously, out of all the things that former Hustler store could possibly have become, a preschool was nowhere near my list of ideas. O sweet mysteries of life!
I have always thought that brain is a muscle like any other-that it gets better when used in unique ways. Some people can remember more concrete things while others remember abstract ideas/concepts. I would concur with you on your thought regarding the above perception-
re side note-could it be that the Hustler store was a month premature? welcome back
I've thought about memory, too-- might work on an essay about it, but it would be one of those rambling, Montaigne essays and not a tight 5-paragraph
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I'm familiar with method of loci, but it's always seemed like a weird way of remembering - to create a false memory in order to remember something(s) else. Mnemonic techniques have never worked for me. They seem to go against my brain's way of remembering things. Also, they're just too much work. Memory palaces, however, sound lovely
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I had a conversation with a fellow worker about memories a couple weeks. They were bemoaning the fact that they could not remember things from years ago.
Well I can. I remember stuff from when I was a kid, swinging on the swing, jumping and landing. Making a hand imprint in clay, Kindergarten. All kinds of cool stuff growing up. I have a few blank spots which make me wonder what caused my memory to shut off at that time...
Anyway as far as memory goes today, I can't remember names and specifics easily. What I do remember and use are concepts. Everything is like something else. Once I can wrap my head around enough of the whole of a subject, then I suddenly can see everything, and add more pieces to it filling it into a new subject. Unfortunately I may not put the commonly used names for specifics. This makes people wonder about me... Or so the looks leave me feeling that way.
I think memory and understanding work differently for everyone.
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I used to have an excellent memory- it was bad because I usually remembered the hurts or my own failings in painful detail. Now I find my memory is more automatic. I remember stats of things I didn't know I was paying attention to- like how often Eric leaves his shoes on the floor or how much TP is left in every bathroom. It's weird.
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Is it the scope of our worlds that determine what information we keep? Are you passionate or obsessed about your home-world and that is why you remember the minutiae of your home? On a sub-conscious level, am I obsessed with people that I remember nearly every detail of my interactions with them?
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I know my diverse love of knowledge has helped me in the wedding business. Since I can talk a little about a lot of things, I can make light conversation with Grandma, cousin Joe and then keep the flower girl busy with origami.
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Maybe your brain commits things to your long term memory more readily than it shoves your experiences into short term. I used to have a memory like yours, and in some regards I still do, so I have myself wondered what makes a person remember certain things, or certain kinds of things more readily than others.
I know i didn't really offer much debate, but as you say, "meh".
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I would concur with you on your thought regarding the above perception-
re side note-could it be that the Hustler store was a month premature?
welcome back
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I had a conversation with a fellow worker about memories a couple weeks. They were bemoaning the fact that they could not remember things from years ago.
Well I can. I remember stuff from when I was a kid, swinging on the swing, jumping and landing. Making a hand imprint in clay, Kindergarten. All kinds of cool stuff growing up. I have a few blank spots which make me wonder what caused my memory to shut off at that time...
Anyway as far as memory goes today, I can't remember names and specifics easily. What I do remember and use are concepts. Everything is like something else. Once I can wrap my head around enough of the whole of a subject, then I suddenly can see everything, and add more pieces to it filling it into a new subject. Unfortunately I may not put the commonly used names for specifics. This makes people wonder about me... Or so the looks leave me feeling that way.
I think memory and understanding work differently for everyone.
Reply
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