[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How good is your memory? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 7/12/2016 1:56:58 PM EDT
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Mine? Like an iron trap. The odd part about my memory is short term it blows, big time. It's almost as if my brain needs a few days to take that memory, transcribe it, and file it away somewhere before I can recall it. It's also very selective, subconsciously I rule out a lot of things as irrelevant and don't remember them. This is not to say I only remember important/major events because I will remember very obscure things that will seem completely irrelevant. Basically, I can't remember what I did for lunch yesterday, but I can tell you the current draw of a circuit I measured 6 weeks ago. My memory tends to lean towards photographic as well.
For those of you with a good memory, I'm sure you'll sympathize with it being a pain in the ass. For work related things, it can be frustrating as hell because no one else remembers. It inevitably turns into a giant circle jerk where you have to hold their hand through the thought process of jogging their memory. Other times, you're just labeled as full of shit and then you're forced to sit back and watch the BS unfold again. In personal matters some are weirded out by it. They think you're keeping track/tabs on them because you're telling them things they did/say that they can't remember. Marriage? Fuck you, your memory is wrong 
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long term very good. I seem to have a better memory than most of the people I know in this regard.
short term active, very good (I can memorize a deck of cards on the fly and retain it for at least a couple days without looking at or thinking about it again) short term passive, just day to day mundane stuff not trying (e.g. where I put my keys) totally average. |
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It's been said that I have a photographic memory, but occasionally forget the film.
I can remember names, faces, number strings, passwords, lists of items, details of a room/place I've only been to once. I can't remember what I ate for dinner the day before.
I've noticed I get the opposite result a lot - not always, but often enough that it annoys me. If I want to remember something, it's one of the first things that goes. Things that I take in passively, either without paying much attention or I don't think are interesting, those stick with me. 
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Mine's weird. If it comes to spoken or written thoughts, like posts or conversations, I can remember them verbatim for years. THAT'S fucking frustrating. Getting into "you never said that" arguments with people about shit I can DISTINCTLY remember is mind numbing.
Spatial memory is uncanny. I noticed the placement of the most mundane stuff and can tell you instantly where just about ANYTHING I've ever seen is, or was. Trivia is another thing I trap. My biggest skill gap is remembering dates and times of stuff, even recurring stuff. It took me 5 years to learn my wife's birthday, for instance. I couldn't tell you the birthday's of ANY family member, except my sons. I need to use a calendar religiously in business. A simple "I'll meet you tomorrow at 5pm at the Starbuck's" will have me doing something interesting and you standing at Starbuck's at 5pm, alone and frustrated ... again. Mental lists are another thing I suck at. If my wife tells me we need 3 things from the grocery WHILE I'M STANDING IN THE GROCERY, she'll be lucky to get one of them. My biggest problem is that I have the attention span of a squirrel. I have learned to use tools to compensate for my deficiencies, though. I wish everyone would do the same. |
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If I get a voicemail with a phone # in it, I will play it back 10 times before I even begin to remember the phone number. This of course always happens when my phone never rang and a random voicemail appears. I have an app that does that. Slydial. It's awesome for when I have a LOT of information I need to give someone and don't particularly care about how their day is going, what their kids are up to, how their hemorrhoids feel or what the "Bears" did on the TV last night during sportsball. |
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I remember the strangest long term things. My short term is a mess. I've also had about 6 concussions so that could play into it. Not really sure. I'm the worst at arguments with the wife because she goes a little off topic or down a rabbit hole and I catch it, but before I bring the conversation back to where it needs to be I've forgotten my point. I actually think she does it on purpose. |
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My memory is great. It always has been. On the other hand my wife's memory is horrible and getting worse. The other day she took my left overs out of the fridge to get to something behind them and of course forgot to put them back so they sat out all day. Sometimes she forgets to bring in groceries from the car and they've gone bad. Well not all of the groceries but maybe a last bag as she got distracted and didn't think there was anything perishable in it. She forgets the name for things so when talking to me she describes them and I feel like I'm on a game show trying to guess what she is talking about. |
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I'd say about average in general, but if I really, really focus on what I'm doing, I'd say it is outstanding.
I participated in psychology experiments in college (underclassmen were required to take part in the grad student's experiments as part of the curriculum) and one of them was a memory based test that was actually pretty complex. I absolutely knocked it out of the park, no one was more surprised than me. I really concentrated on the task at hand (don't ask me why, it wasn't like I was getting graded on how well I did) so I did remarkably well. I can still do it, but like I said, I really have to concentrate to do it. Normal everyday mode I'm about average, in my opinion. My grandma had an incredible memory, able to recall minute details of events 50+ years after they happened. |
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Quoted:
My memory is great. It always has been. On the other hand my wife's memory is horrible and getting worse. The other day she took my left overs out of the fridge to get to something behind them and of course forgot to put them back so they sat out all day. Sometimes she forgets to bring in groceries from the car and they've gone bad. Well not all of the groceries but maybe a last bag as she got distracted and didn't think there was anything perishable in it. She forgets the name for things so when talking to me she describes them and I feel like I'm on a game show trying to guess what she is talking about. I would be concerned, does she forget where she puts stuff and then finds it later in odd places? Did you guys go to the doctor? |
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I have a topographic memory. I can remember places, where they are, what was there, what happened there and how to get there again. Remember to get something from the store, or even stop at the store, or What's a store? Not a chance Oh, yeah, I forgot. Directions .... I'm *horrible* with remembering how I got somewhere, how to get there again, what side of town it's on, how to explain to someone else how to get there. Any of it. If it involves being in one place and getting to any other place I can't physically point to, you're fucked if I'm navigating. |
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A friend frequently says "eidetic" about my memory. I disagree, and am frustrated that my memory isn't what it used to be. At one point, it was very, very good. Now, it's cluttered with old boxes full of cat meme posters and useless song lyrics. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Names.
walking the dog this am and I pass a woman walking the other way. Stop to say "good morning" and introduce myself. Get home and tell the wife, "I met the woman who moved into the Bishop house. Name's..........." 
+1 on family birthdays. I know the months, but most of the days are really close. I've been embarassed on the phone when I couldn't rattle off my wife's BD. |
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Like an elephant and it even has a section for an enemies list and it dates back as far as the fifth grade.
Kenny A purposefully gave me a knee to the face during the schools championship wrestling match because he knew I was unbeatable. The fill in referee missed it and failed to give me the timeout I was calling for. Kenny A got all of the glory and I got a black eye, literally. |
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Quoted: I would be concerned, does she forget where she puts stuff and then finds it later in odd places? Did you guys go to the doctor? Quoted: Quoted: My memory is great. It always has been. On the other hand my wife's memory is horrible and getting worse. The other day she took my left overs out of the fridge to get to something behind them and of course forgot to put them back so they sat out all day. Sometimes she forgets to bring in groceries from the car and they've gone bad. Well not all of the groceries but maybe a last bag as she got distracted and didn't think there was anything perishable in it. She forgets the name for things so when talking to me she describes them and I feel like I'm on a game show trying to guess what she is talking about. I would be concerned, does she forget where she puts stuff and then finds it later in odd places? Did you guys go to the doctor? She forgets where she puts stuff all time time though I don't think it ends up in odd places. For example the other day we were in the grocery store. She had pepper on the list. I asked her if she had gotten it yet. She said she just got it and was looking in the cart for it but couldn't find it so I went over to look and it was in her other hand. We have a rule in the house that she isn't allowed to move my stuff without telling me because I don't want to play the guessing game about where it is. With important things that are not used often, like the HOA payment coupon book that is only used every three months, I had her send me a picture of where she put it in an email. The funniest "lost memory" story is one day I come home and she is looking all pissed. Seems she was snooping on my computer while I was gone. So she brings me over to the computer and points to the computer where a dirty picture was up on the screen. In a strong voice and with a nasty face she says "Whose vagina is that?". I bust out laughing which only serves to annoy her further. She says to stop laughing and repeats her question. To which I reply it is hers. She then argues saying she doesn't remember that picture. So I show her the picture before and after which you can tell are both clearly her. I show her the file names and dates are all consecutive to which she responds that I'm good with computers and could have faked that. Eventually I remind her about the circumstances and she eventually recalls what happened. |
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Quoted:
She forgets where she puts stuff all time time though I don't think it ends up in odd places. For example the other day we were in the grocery store. She had pepper on the list. I asked her if she had gotten it yet. She said she just got it and was looking in the cart for it but couldn't find it so I went over to look and it was in her other hand. We have a rule in the house that she isn't allowed to move my stuff without telling me because I don't want to play the guessing game about where it is. With important things that are not used often, like the HOA payment coupon book that is only used every three months, I had her send me a picture of where she put it in an email. The funniest "lost memory" story is one day I come home and she is looking all pissed. Seems she was snooping on my computer while I was gone. So she brings me over to the computer and points to the computer where a dirty picture was up on the screen. In a strong voice and with a nasty face she says "Whose vagina is that?". I bust out laughing which only serves to annoy her further. She says to stop laughing and repeats her question. To which I reply it is hers. She then argues saying she doesn't remember that picture. So I show her the picture before and after which you can tell are both clearly her. I show her the file names and dates are all consecutive to which she responds that I'm good with computers and could have faked that. Eventually I remind her about the circumstances and she eventually recalls what happened. Quoted:
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My memory is great. It always has been. On the other hand my wife's memory is horrible and getting worse. The other day she took my left overs out of the fridge to get to something behind them and of course forgot to put them back so they sat out all day. Sometimes she forgets to bring in groceries from the car and they've gone bad. Well not all of the groceries but maybe a last bag as she got distracted and didn't think there was anything perishable in it. She forgets the name for things so when talking to me she describes them and I feel like I'm on a game show trying to guess what she is talking about. I would be concerned, does she forget where she puts stuff and then finds it later in odd places? Did you guys go to the doctor? She forgets where she puts stuff all time time though I don't think it ends up in odd places. For example the other day we were in the grocery store. She had pepper on the list. I asked her if she had gotten it yet. She said she just got it and was looking in the cart for it but couldn't find it so I went over to look and it was in her other hand. We have a rule in the house that she isn't allowed to move my stuff without telling me because I don't want to play the guessing game about where it is. With important things that are not used often, like the HOA payment coupon book that is only used every three months, I had her send me a picture of where she put it in an email. The funniest "lost memory" story is one day I come home and she is looking all pissed. Seems she was snooping on my computer while I was gone. So she brings me over to the computer and points to the computer where a dirty picture was up on the screen. In a strong voice and with a nasty face she says "Whose vagina is that?". I bust out laughing which only serves to annoy her further. She says to stop laughing and repeats her question. To which I reply it is hers. She then argues saying she doesn't remember that picture. So I show her the picture before and after which you can tell are both clearly her. I show her the file names and dates are all consecutive to which she responds that I'm good with computers and could have faked that. Eventually I remind her about the circumstances and she eventually recalls what happened. Maybe she's just really absent minded then. That was a pretty cool story, though
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Blessed and cursed with a powerful memory...I remember our phone # from when I was six years old, and the street address as well. Nobody that knows me will play any kind of trivia game with me, I always win. I also remember things I'd just as soon forget, but that's life.
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For most of my life I had what I would consider and excellent memory, better than most. I'm known in my family for remembering every little thing about childhood with my siblings, they thing I'm a robot.
But then I got rear-ended in an accident a several years ago and banged my head pretty good, and I'd definitely say it hasn't been as good since that happened. I still remember all the old shit from forever ago, but when it comes to new stuff it now takes a beat for it to come. It's in there, but there's a bad line of code in recall.exe or something. Oddly, my typing got worse after that too. Everything checked out the doctor though. 
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Oh, yeah, I forgot. Directions .... I'm *horrible* with remembering how I got somewhere, how to get there again, what side of town it's on, how to explain to someone else how to get there. Any of it. If it involves being in one place and getting to any other place I can't physically point to, you're fucked if I'm navigating. Quoted:
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I have a topographic memory. I can remember places, where they are, what was there, what happened there and how to get there again. Remember to get something from the store, or even stop at the store, or What's a store? Not a chance Oh, yeah, I forgot. Directions .... I'm *horrible* with remembering how I got somewhere, how to get there again, what side of town it's on, how to explain to someone else how to get there. Any of it. If it involves being in one place and getting to any other place I can't physically point to, you're fucked if I'm navigating. That's why I bought a GPS for my car. It helps, and sometimes we even use it to go relatively short distance to go places where we haven't been for quite a while. |
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My issue is with dates. Basically the calendar ahead of me is a big nebulous cloud filled with things I need to do and places I need to be at some point. The calendar behind me is a big cloud of jumbled memories. I can tell you what I ate at such and such a restaurant the last time I ate there, but I couldn't tell you the date if you put a gun to my head.
When my wife tells me, "We are going out to eat with Muffy and Biff the Saturday after next," she might as well be shouting into an empty well. It will always fail to register with me, unless it's something I really am looking forward to... like "Wow, I can't wait until the Saturday after next, Muffy will be there and she always wears sheer blouses with no bra." |
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My issue is with dates. Basically the calendar ahead of me is a big nebulous cloud filled with things I need to do and places I need to be at some point. The calendar behind me is a big cloud of jumbled memories. I can tell you what I ate at such and such a restaurant the last time I ate there, but I couldn't tell you the date if you put a gun to my head. When my wife tells me, "We are going out to eat with Muffy and Biff the Saturday after next," she might as well be shouting into an empty well. It will always fail to register with me, unless it's something I really am looking forward to... like "Wow, I can't wait until the Saturday after next, Muffy will be there and she always wears sheer blouses with no bra." I'm shitty with dates/times if they're just thrown at me in a pile. I.E. wednesday this, saturday that, oh i forgot friday this, no, next friday, then monday 
My wife's work schedule is never the same. She'll rattle off her schedule for the week (which is usually just 3 days) and by the end I'm near drooling in confusion. However, if she writes it on the calendar, one glance and I have that shit on lock. |
