I'm a engineer with memory problems. If you can build coping mechanisms you get very used to extrapolating and re-formulating things on the fly. But you can als

I'm a engineer with memory problems. If you can build coping mechanisms you get very used to extrapolating and re-formulating things on the fly. But you can also forget edge cases and technicalities more easily. Ultimately this isn't a one dimensional problem. Better memory is better, bad memory can help build extrapolation skills, but intention and practice can do that too. It's better to have both good memory and good inference. I remember in math classes I would re-derive most of the trig equations on the back of every test. Meant I had to be faster at solving the problems too. I don't think the "bad memory helps with novelty" is actually a thing. You can fall into ridged structures of thinking either way.