4 ms·

Yeah I'm always impressed when someone is like, the dance is like this and this and this and then it seems the whole room got it except me. But for most of my l

Yeah I'm always impressed when someone is like, the dance is like this and this and this and then it seems the whole room got it except me. But for most of my life (as I'm aging I'm losing it somewhat) I pretty much only had to read something once to remember it forever. Never understood the process of "studying". Lebron James has been remarked upon for his ability to remember practically any play of any game he's ever been in (and many that he hasn't) in precise detail. And actress Marilu Henner can basically remember every detail of her entire life, a condition called hyperthermesia. I think superior memory is an underestimated driver of successful people.

colordrops 4y ago
I had what was probably hyperthymesia until I got into college. Lots of drinking, drugs, experiences, illnesses and whatnot and now I'm almost 50 and can't remember much of what happened a couple hours ago. It's like Flowers for Algernon but in slow motion so not as painful.
- enobrev 4y ago
  Coming around to my mid 40s and I can say the same with the same approximate reasons. I used to throw events with tens to hundreds of people as a teenager and I could remember the names of every guest including anecdotes about them. Even weeks after the event. Now it takes hearing a name about 15 time on several occasions for it to stick. I need to write down everything these days.
dav_Oz 4y ago
>Lebron James has been remarked upon for his ability to remember practically any play of any game he's ever been in (and many that he hasn't) in precise detail. And actress Marilu Henner can basically remember every detail of her entire life, a condition called hyperthermesia. I think superior memory is an underestimated driver of successful people. I think it depends. There is certainly a balance to be struck here. In the case of hyperthermesia its selectivity (tightly coupled to autobiographical details) makes it quite different from ordinary memorization: >Even those with a high level of hyperthymesia do not remember exactly everything in their lives or have "perfect memory". Studies have shown that it is a selective ability, as shown by Price's case, and they can have comparative difficulty with rote memorization and therefore cannot apply their ability to school and work.[0] The short story Funes el memorioso by Jorge Luis Borges - who explores this theme[1] quite radically in his typical style - is imv particularly enlightening. In short: A certain amount of "forgetting" (you don't want to remember all details at all times) helps to consolidate and facilitates to see "things" in a new light. In a sense sleep itself (biologically hardcoded) fulfills a very large part of that function. [0]https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperthymesia#Difficulties https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperthymesia#Difficulties [1]https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/borges-memory-funes-the-memorious/ https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/borges-memory-funes-the-m...
- Shorel 4y ago
  El Memorioso Funes is more like a journalistic/chronicle parody of the phenomenon, rather than an exploration of it. At least that's how it feels in the Spanish version.
72deluxe 4y ago
I have a photographic memory and notice it is getting worse with age. Do you find anything helps? A successful memory might be good for successful people but it might also be a curse to be surrounded by a sea of people who need to be constantly reminded of things when you yourself remember everything. It's like the universe is going in slow motion.

colordrops 4y ago

I had what was probably hyperthymesia until I got into college. Lots of drinking, drugs, experiences, illnesses and whatnot and now I'm almost 50 and can't remember much of what happened a couple hours ago. It's like Flowers for Algernon but in slow motion so not as painful.

enobrev 4y ago
Coming around to my mid 40s and I can say the same with the same approximate reasons. I used to throw events with tens to hundreds of people as a teenager and I could remember the names of every guest including anecdotes about them. Even weeks after the event. Now it takes hearing a name about 15 time on several occasions for it to stick. I need to write down everything these days.

dav_Oz 4y ago

>Lebron James has been remarked upon for his ability to remember practically any play of any game he's ever been in (and many that he hasn't) in precise detail. And actress Marilu Henner can basically remember every detail of her entire life, a condition called hyperthermesia. I think superior memory is an underestimated driver of successful people. I think it depends. There is certainly a balance to be struck here. In the case of hyperthermesia its selectivity (tightly coupled to autobiographical details) makes it quite different from ordinary memorization: >Even those with a high level of hyperthymesia do not remember exactly everything in their lives or have "perfect memory". Studies have shown that it is a selective ability, as shown by Price's case, and they can have comparative difficulty with rote memorization and therefore cannot apply their ability to school and work.[0] The short story Funes el memorioso by Jorge Luis Borges - who explores this theme[1] quite radically in his typical style - is imv particularly enlightening. In short: A certain amount of "forgetting" (you don't want to remember all details at all times) helps to consolidate and facilitates to see "things" in a new light. In a sense sleep itself (biologically hardcoded) fulfills a very large part of that function. [0]https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperthymesia#Difficulties https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperthymesia#Difficulties [1]https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/borges-memory-funes-the-memorious/ https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/borges-memory-funes-the-m...

Shorel 4y ago
El Memorioso Funes is more like a journalistic/chronicle parody of the phenomenon, rather than an exploration of it. At least that's how it feels in the Spanish version.

72deluxe 4y ago

I have a photographic memory and notice it is getting worse with age. Do you find anything helps? A successful memory might be good for successful people but it might also be a curse to be surrounded by a sea of people who need to be constantly reminded of things when you yourself remember everything. It's like the universe is going in slow motion.