It's interesting. I think you are correct about your approach having an implicit space repetition component, and that's actually one of the two principles unde

It's interesting. I think you are correct about your approach having an implicit space repetition component, and that's actually one of the two principles underlying the power of structured spaced repetition: it's how we already learn anyways. By anchoring the process explicitly to the forgetting curve[1] it simply makes it more efficient. You can see it everywhere: non-fiction books are often padded with redundancy as a sloppier form of spaced repetition, people often only remember other's names after using it several times, etc. The other principle is recall > re-exposure. Outside of highly emotional experiences, one of the best ways to encode a new memory, paradoxically, is to remember it. But to achieve this means our notes have to be converted into something like flashcards, so instead of reviewing them, you are always giving yourself a pop quiz. It takes me a long time (if ever) to remember how to get somewhere if I use Google Maps. If I have to find it myself, even once, I am very likely to remember. As someone whose absent-mindedness is a constant low-level existential crisis (what are we but our memories?), I'm motivated to extend the process beyond the straightforward flashcard material within subjects like computing and chemistry. I really don't think history, general musings, or personal interactions are any different. It just isn't as obvious at first. Some non-traditional examples: Q: What restaurant did Bob recommend for me to visit the next time I'm in Seattle? A: x Q: What behavior adjustment did you tell your partner you are going to make to improve your communication? A: x Of course you can do the same thing with facts in history _and_ with your personal takeaways from the information. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgetting_curve https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgetting_curve