FabSwingers.com > Forums > The Lounge > Cognitive Retention
Cognitive Retention
Jump to: Newest in thread
Good folks; How would you rate your ability to retain information?
By way of example: Say for instance, you wish to memorise something; Do you find it relatively easy to commit it to your long term memory or else does said information dissipate pathetically into the ether in a manner not unlike an expelled fart from your short term memory, even after you’ve repeated it back to yourself a plethora of times? |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
 |
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
I have a really good retention of things about people’s lives. We did a thing at work where we had to spend a minute recalling info about a colleague after they spent 2 minutes telling us about themselves. And I found it easy to remember all about them and my other colleagues stumbled. Funny I can still remember that info. Can’t remember what day it was, what else we discussed at work that day or what anyone was wearing though.
|
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
"Depends how important it is! If I need to remember it then, poof, it's gone. If it's utterly inconsequential then it's burned into my brain eternally. 
J"
I’m the same 
I can fire off utterly useless tidbits of knowledge ‘til the cows come home but anything I actively wish to retain…..well, it goes in one ear and straight out the other
 |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
"I also like remembering about people because it’s nice when you see them to ask them about things or how something went etc. "
That’s a wonderfully warm and kind form of memory retention 
I’m guessing you similarly are skilled at ‘reading’ people and are very good as regards empathy? |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
Not very well to be honest. I can only really resting info through repetition and find it really difficult to rearin piece that are one-off or may never need again. It's the same with names which makes it really awkward for social situations |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"I also like remembering about people because it’s nice when you see them to ask them about things or how something went etc. "
I like this as well, but if it's been a while, I always think I'm being really creepy for remembering it |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"I also like remembering about people because it’s nice when you see them to ask them about things or how something went etc.
That’s a wonderfully warm and kind form of memory retention
I’m guessing you similarly are skilled at ‘reading’ people and are very good as regards empathy? "
Empathy I think so. Reading people idek. I think so but I’m sure many people will tell me I might have them slightly or very wrong. It’s hard. Haha |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"I also like remembering about people because it’s nice when you see them to ask them about things or how something went etc.
I like this as well, but if it's been a while, I always think I'm being really creepy for remembering it "
Literally! They be thinking I stalked their LinkedIn or something |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
If I’m having a clear headed day, where I am able to focus - I remember the minutest thing & remember it forever.
If I’m having an overwhelmed day. The kind where I can hear my eyelids blinking and everything is fuzzy. I’d struggle to tell you my name.
Like today - I’ve forgotten how punctuation *actually* works. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
Extremely good memory at work, but normal/selective sometimes off work.
( I forget where I left things or what I went to get quite often, but remember after a minute usually)
* I could go back to work in any kitchen I've ever worked, and cook most of the dishes were on the menu when I left (14+ years).
All we're completely different kind of restaurants. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
Memory is my superpower if I ever had one.
One of my favourite questions to ask people is what their oldest memory is. I’ve found most people can remember as early as 5-6 years old but typically nothing before that. This is fascinating to me. Why do so many not have memories before that age is something I’ve pondered.
I have vivid memories as young as 22 months old and they aren’t one off events that were monumental in my life then but small details that were a part of every day life.
I’m also the person colleagues go to when trying to remember what was said at a meeting that happened years ago. I can word for word remember what topics were discussed, what actions were taken, etc without even looking at minutes or an agenda. The furthest back I’ve been able to go is 2007. I can name who was in the meeting, where they sat, sometimes what they wore, and all the topics discussed if someone prompts me with the meeting title.
I can also memorise a string of numbers with more than 30 numbers in length in mere seconds.
Years ago I was hyper focused on optimising my memory. I learned for me attaching more than one sense to the memory made it “storeable” versus forgettable. A lot of my memories are associated with visuals such as recalling the meetings, smells associated with the memory (I literally can smell whatever scent was there when I recall the memory years later), and others. I don’t know if this makes sense as I’ve explained this to others before and received mad looks but that’s how my brain works.
|
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By *ddie1966Man
over a year ago
Paper Town Central, Essex. |
My memory has never been a problem. Long or short term. Mines generally referred to as a trick memory.
Sometimes it's a blessing, sometimes it's a curse.
However, I'm lousy with names, but numbers.... wow..... |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"Not very well to be honest. I can only really resting info through repetition and find it really difficult to rearin piece that are one-off or may never need again. It's the same with names which makes it really awkward for social situations "
You typing with your knob there Joe |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By *TG3Man
over a year ago
Dorchester |
"Good folks; How would you rate your ability to retain information?
By way of example: Say for instance, you wish to memorise something; Do you find it relatively easy to commit it to your long term memory or else does said information dissipate pathetically into the ether in a manner not unlike an expelled fart from your short term memory, even after you’ve repeated it back to yourself a plethora of times?"
terrible if its trivial information but if its something i need to remember I'm pretty good  |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
I have to be in a good mindset to soak up anything that's deeper than surface level. And I can't remember the last time I was in a good mindset. I've tried to get into reading books again over the last few years and it's like I'm reading nothing. I'm so exhausted. I absorb absolutely nothing. I have a course starting soon and I'm a bit worried about how I'm going to get on. I have so much going on in my head and it's tricky to focus on certain things. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"Not very well to be honest. I can only really resting info through repetition and find it really difficult to rearin piece that are one-off or may never need again. It's the same with names which makes it really awkward for social situations
You typing with your knob there Joe "
Jeez, did I type that?  |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"Not very well to be honest. I can only really retain info through repetition and find it really difficult to retain pieces that are a one-off or may never need again. It's the same with names which makes it really awkward for social situations "
Fixed it, hopefully it's more legible |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"Not very well to be honest. I can only really resting info through repetition and find it really difficult to rearin piece that are one-off or may never need again. It's the same with names which makes it really awkward for social situations
You typing with your knob there Joe
Jeez, did I type that? "
Somebody did |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
Yeah it depends, numbers and shit I forget straight away, random conversations I'll probably forget but if it's something I'm genuinely interested in then I will remember no problem... if someone is explaining how to do something I'll most likely forget but if I physically do it myself then I remember. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
"Memory is my superpower if I ever had one.
One of my favourite questions to ask people is what their oldest memory is. I’ve found most people can remember as early as 5-6 years old but typically nothing before that. This is fascinating to me. Why do so many not have memories before that age is something I’ve pondered.
I have vivid memories as young as 22 months old and they aren’t one off events that were monumental in my life then but small details that were a part of every day life.
I’m also the person colleagues go to when trying to remember what was said at a meeting that happened years ago. I can word for word remember what topics were discussed, what actions were taken, etc without even looking at minutes or an agenda. The furthest back I’ve been able to go is 2007. I can name who was in the meeting, where they sat, sometimes what they wore, and all the topics discussed if someone prompts me with the meeting title.
I can also memorise a string of numbers with more than 30 numbers in length in mere seconds.
Years ago I was hyper focused on optimising my memory. I learned for me attaching more than one sense to the memory made it “storeable” versus forgettable. A lot of my memories are associated with visuals such as recalling the meetings, smells associated with the memory (I literally can smell whatever scent was there when I recall the memory years later), and others. I don’t know if this makes sense as I’ve explained this to others before and received mad looks but that’s how my brain works.
"
I am hugely impressed; numerical memory is a particular pitfall of mine (I can’t even remember my own bank number offhand!)
With your memory you’d have also done brilliantly on The Generation Game - the conveyor belt finale sequence
I myself always fear being at any gathering wherein someone suggests playing one of those sequential memory games in which one has to list the exact order in which each person has added something…..I usually cop out early in jest (but genuinely!) |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
"Not very well to be honest. I can only really resting info through repetition and find it really difficult to rearin piece that are one-off or may never need again. It's the same with names which makes it really awkward for social situations "
I agree wholeheartedly Dave   |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
"Years ago I was hyper focused on optimising my memory. I learned for me attaching more than one sense to the memory made it “storeable” versus forgettable. A lot of my memories are associated with visuals such as recalling the meetings, smells associated with the memory (I literally can smell whatever scent was there when I recall the memory years later), and others. I don’t know if this makes sense as I’ve explained this to others before and received mad looks but that’s how my brain works."
This is amazing. From what I understand, that’s how ‘professional’ memory trainers say you should do it. Associating images or ideas with things is the favoured method. The idea that you can do it by associating *any* other sense memory is really interesting. Smell seems like such an obvious one - people always talk about the nostalgia associated with scent.
How do you do this with strings of numbers then? |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
Interestingly, there are a few scientific tips that can aid in retention.
One is to read/mentally imbibe that which one wishes to retain just before retiring to bed which capitalises on natural relaxation as a beneficial factor in memory retention.
Another, more unusual tip, is that we retain information better when clenching our fists (yes, you read that correctly). There is a particularly fascinating theory behind this one pertaining to activating/stimulating relevant centres in our brains. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
"If I’m having a clear headed day, where I am able to focus - I remember the minutest thing & remember it forever.
If I’m having an overwhelmed day. The kind where I can hear my eyelids blinking and everything is fuzzy. I’d struggle to tell you my name.
Like today - I’ve forgotten how punctuation *actually* works. "
Punctu-whaaaat? |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"Years ago I was hyper focused on optimising my memory. I learned for me attaching more than one sense to the memory made it “storeable” versus forgettable. A lot of my memories are associated with visuals such as recalling the meetings, smells associated with the memory (I literally can smell whatever scent was there when I recall the memory years later), and others. I don’t know if this makes sense as I’ve explained this to others before and received mad looks but that’s how my brain works.
This is amazing. From what I understand, that’s how ‘professional’ memory trainers say you should do it. Associating images or ideas with things is the favoured method. The idea that you can do it by associating *any* other sense memory is really interesting. Smell seems like such an obvious one - people always talk about the nostalgia associated with scent.
How do you do this with strings of numbers then?"
I’ve heard of things such as making a list of items and associating that item to a list you have to remember, for example. That never worked for me. I spent more time trying to remember whether tree was the third object or the fifth and forgetting the list I needed to memorise.
At the age of 10, I became fascinated with optimising my memory. I read something at age 9 about memory being lost as you aged in a psychology magazine somewhere. The article suggested doing things different to make your mind work outside of its normality. I adopted things like brushing my teeth left handed, learning how to write with my left hand, eating with the left hand, walking home from school in a new route every day, counting backwards instead of forwards with speed. Then, from that I started doing drills to remember strings of numbers. Started with phone numbers and then slowly increased number lengths. By the time I was 14 I could remember numbers as long as 18 digits. Over time with practice I’ve increased this. How I remember them? It’s just engrained in me now. I don’t think about how I do it. I literally see a string of numbers repeat it once out loud, hours m, days or weeks can go by and I can recite it accurately on first attempt. There has to be a significance to a number though. For example if it’s just some random number someone has just randomly thrown at me I won’t remember it in full. If it’s the number of copies of publications sold between 1962-1987 of some book, for example, then I will remember it. Or the sum of some maths problems, etc.
With strings of numbers I associate visuals, and just “hear” myself in my head reciting it out loud that one time to recall it. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
"Years ago I was hyper focused on optimising my memory. I learned for me attaching more than one sense to the memory made it “storeable” versus forgettable. A lot of my memories are associated with visuals such as recalling the meetings, smells associated with the memory (I literally can smell whatever scent was there when I recall the memory years later), and others. I don’t know if this makes sense as I’ve explained this to others before and received mad looks but that’s how my brain works.
This is amazing. From what I understand, that’s how ‘professional’ memory trainers say you should do it. Associating images or ideas with things is the favoured method. The idea that you can do it by associating *any* other sense memory is really interesting. Smell seems like such an obvious one - people always talk about the nostalgia associated with scent.
How do you do this with strings of numbers then?
I’ve heard of things such as making a list of items and associating that item to a list you have to remember, for example. That never worked for me. I spent more time trying to remember whether tree was the third object or the fifth and forgetting the list I needed to memorise.
At the age of 10, I became fascinated with optimising my memory. I read something at age 9 about memory being lost as you aged in a psychology magazine somewhere. The article suggested doing things different to make your mind work outside of its normality. I adopted things like brushing my teeth left handed, learning how to write with my left hand, eating with the left hand, walking home from school in a new route every day, counting backwards instead of forwards with speed. Then, from that I started doing drills to remember strings of numbers. Started with phone numbers and then slowly increased number lengths. By the time I was 14 I could remember numbers as long as 18 digits. Over time with practice I’ve increased this. How I remember them? It’s just engrained in me now. I don’t think about how I do it. I literally see a string of numbers repeat it once out loud, hours m, days or weeks can go by and I can recite it accurately on first attempt. There has to be a significance to a number though. For example if it’s just some random number someone has just randomly thrown at me I won’t remember it in full. If it’s the number of copies of publications sold between 1962-1987 of some book, for example, then I will remember it. Or the sum of some maths problems, etc.
With strings of numbers I associate visuals, and just “hear” myself in my head reciting it out loud that one time to recall it. "
Hi I need to take you to Vegas for reasons unrelated to a two week marriage; a first for me!
 |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
I’m shite at remembering things and cannot retain information, until a year or so has passed and I no longer require said information, then miraculously I can recall it at will.
What I really need is to know a year or so in advance the information I am going to need to recall, then I can make a complete hash of remembering it now but be able to recall it in a years time. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
» Add a new message to this topic
