3 ms·

This happens to me and I think is related to learning habits for general subjects. I remember my association to information more than the information itself. It

This happens to me and I think is related to learning habits for general subjects. I remember my association to information more than the information itself. It's why I'm bad at learning history (despite finding it fascinating) unless it's an issue that I can link to myself and relate to personally and build a connection. Similarly, on a weekly basis I Google for `site:news.ycombinator.com drivebyacct2 <some keyword I know I used>` to get back to a post or discussion that I want to reference. I feel kind of bad about this as I introspect, I'm sure this reliance on third parties has a detrimental effect on my ability to remember information that I could compose to build new knowledge or apply to new situations.

antoko 14y ago
You shouldn't feel bad, it is us optimizing, we're making use of our limited mental faculties to focus on what we're good at - complex/creative/rational thinking, offloading the data to whatever is convenient. I'm so rarely optimistic about things, I feel my initial optimism in this regard means I must be right... apparently I'm being optimistic about that too! ;)
dizzystar 14y ago
Don't feel bad. I also have awful memory and despite seeking help for it (and flunking history multiple times!), I simply don't have the capacity to remember certain things. My memory finally "improved" when I discovered that phone numbers need not be numbers but a pattern on a key pad. I couldn't, and still can't, remember much unless there are logical patterns and derivations. The year 1806 is random integers attached to an event. Pattern-matching and derived memorization is looked down upon as something inferior to rote or "photographic" memory. I think this is sad state of affairs: regurgitating how-to doesn't help anyone understand anything. Being able to derive concepts and ideas offers a deep understanding and visualization of the world that no one trained into rote memory can ever attain. So, I consider the fact that I had to redefine "memory" in a way my brain can understand it a blessing, not a curse.
sp332 14y ago
hnsearch.com (or the "search" box at the bottom of most HN pages) is more convenient, since it lets you filter by stories or comments, and sort by date or points.

antoko 14y ago

You shouldn't feel bad, it is us optimizing, we're making use of our limited mental faculties to focus on what we're good at - complex/creative/rational thinking, offloading the data to whatever is convenient. I'm so rarely optimistic about things, I feel my initial optimism in this regard means I must be right... apparently I'm being optimistic about that too! ;)

dizzystar 14y ago

Don't feel bad. I also have awful memory and despite seeking help for it (and flunking history multiple times!), I simply don't have the capacity to remember certain things. My memory finally "improved" when I discovered that phone numbers need not be numbers but a pattern on a key pad. I couldn't, and still can't, remember much unless there are logical patterns and derivations. The year 1806 is random integers attached to an event. Pattern-matching and derived memorization is looked down upon as something inferior to rote or "photographic" memory. I think this is sad state of affairs: regurgitating how-to doesn't help anyone understand anything. Being able to derive concepts and ideas offers a deep understanding and visualization of the world that no one trained into rote memory can ever attain. So, I consider the fact that I had to redefine "memory" in a way my brain can understand it a blessing, not a curse.

sp332 14y ago

hnsearch.com (or the "search" box at the bottom of most HN pages) is more convenient, since it lets you filter by stories or comments, and sort by date or points.