It always amazes me what people can remember and what they can't. My ability to remember is notoriously bad, yet I have met people who can remember the names of teachers they had in grade school 40 years after the fact. I couldn't have told you the names of the teachers 2 years after the fact.
I can remember some things from long ago but not many. I couldn't tell you about any of the Christmas presents I ever got except a stuffed penguin I got when I was 18 or 19. I couldn't tell you any of the phone numbers I have ever had and can barely remember the one I have now.
Yet there are people in the world who can remember those things. It amazes me. How do they do it? How can they remember what happened 40 years before?
Of course there is a balance. I may not remember well but I understand concepts well and can apply those concepts in unique ways once I know them. I may not remember who my second grade teacher was but I know the theory behind how each household appliance works and could design a refrigerator or washing machine if I had to.
I guess each have their own abilities and inabilities, but how do you folks live with your heads full of names and dates? I guess I will never know.
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2 comments:
I think of the memory as a huge filing cabinet. Some of us have better filing systems than others, and everyone has limited space (some more limited than others).
You've devoted your filing space to concepts where others find names and numbers more important for whatever reason.
I have a brain like a steel sieve. Jack got the steel trap. :)
My steel sieve is rusty and has holes in it.
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