What Types of Details Do You Remember?

[Siúil a Rúin]

This is an interesting aspect of oneself to observe, and it has come to my mind recently for a few reasons. I've been watching reruns and after having my mind blank out on certain details from shows and clearly remember selective details, it helped me learn something about myself. I thought it could be interesting for other people to notice and share the specific nature of their own memory. So you can also ask yourself what kinds of details you don't remember. This could also be a new approach to help people type themselves in various personality systems.

1. Have you noticed that some people can remember every fact they encounter and function like the proverbial "walking encyclopedia"?

2. Other people can remember concrete details like what people were wearing, or the exact way they left a room. I knew one person who had a selective photographic memory of the eye color of everyone she had ever met.

3. I've recently discovered after watching several reruns of shows that my memory is extremely selective as well. I remember every feeling that is expressed in words and expression. I remember what people said that had emotional impact.

4. There is also internal memory of your own imaginative experiences, and that is something I can remember more easily than some external events.

5. I'm certain there are many more types of details and memory, which I hope this thread will bring to light.

 

[prplchknz]

i remember mostly interests and what they like. i'll remember them saying i like this food or i hate this food or these are the movies i like or don't like. and if they give a reason i'm more likely to remember than when suggesting something to them like a food or a movie or whatever i base it off of their preferences and ignore mine. I might say i also enjoyed it if i did. but there have been times where i've hated what i'm suggesting to them but i know that more than likely they'll enjoy it and usually i'm right. i guess i remember patterns.

but i don't remember what i watch on tv or exact words i read in a book the best i can usually do is some vageness and whether or not i like it, but maybe i do remember more than i think, because other wise i'd not be able to suggest it to others with accuracy but i can not give you the plot. but i may be able to be like that character looks very similar to that actor but they are not the same person

is this what you want?

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

[MENTION=360]prplchknz[/MENTION]
Good post. This is rather open ended topic, so people can interpret and respond any way that makes sense to them.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Fuck no, I'm so absent-minded and I have to force myself to remember details. I inevitably forget them anyway.

re OP: Rewatching shows and films is fun because I always notice details I missed the first time. Also fun to see where the writers were foreshadowing or hinting at later events and to see themes that weren't as evident when watching the episodes week-to-week.

 

[Destiny]

I have the memory of a sieve. I don't really remember anything unless it affects my emotions, things that make an emotional impact on me. For example, hurtful words that people say to me, I am bound to remember it for a long time. Or a kind word that someone says to me when I am feeling disillusioned about the world. But other than this, I don't really remember anything most of the time.

As quoted from my ENFJ mom, "You are always so blur. You need to be more observant of your surroundings! One of these days you will end up bumping into our neighbors and you won't even know who they are. You need to learn how to be more observant."

But the thing is it's not that I am not observant, it's just that I don't bother to remember details from my surroundings. Whatever color clothes a person is wearing is none of my business. I don't even remember what color clothes I am wearing myself, so how am I gonna remember what color clothes others are wearing?

 

[Bush]

I'm envious of walking encyclopedias.

"Hi, I'm Jordan Burns."​

This guy's name is Jordan. This guy's name is Jordan. This guy's name is Jordan.

"Nice to meet you, man. I'm Lt. Ph.D. J. Crothers Psy.D. So are you here with Mensa or with the Prometheus Society?"

"Well, as a self-aggrandizing asshole myself, I [...]"​

[...]

"Hey Jules!"​

"Hey..... ....... ... ... man! Good to see you again!"​

 

[/DG/]

I've noticed that I have a fantastic ability to remember nothing (though for exams I am often able to memorize and regurgitate info in the short term).

Sometimes I wonder if I have memory loss. If someone ever asks me a question that begins "Do you remember..." my answer is most often "no," even if others seem to be able to easily recall the event.

One of my grandfathers died of some form of dementia and my dad really does not seem to be all there mentally (though he is only in his 50s). Hopefully I don't become senile any time soon. :/

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

I'm envious of walking encyclopedias.

"Hi, I'm Jordan Burns."​

This guy's name is Jordan. This guy's name is Jordan. This guy's name is Jordan.

"Nice to meet you, man. I'm Lt. Ph.D. J. Crothers Psy.D. So are you here with Mensa or with the Prometheus Society?"

"Well, as a self-aggrandizing asshole myself, I [...]"​

[...]

"Hey Jules!"​

"Hey..... ....... ... ... man! Good to see you again!"​

I just say, "Hey, you!"

 

[á´…eparted]

I have a very strong long term memory. Short term is average. There isn't much of a pattern to what I remember strongly or not. If I tell myself "I need to remember this", it almost always sticks.

That said, I am best at remembering concepts. I might not be able to tell you the names of everything, but I can easily tell you how something works or how to do it.

 

[Vorthos]

I have an excellent memory. I'm the walking encyclopedia, and I'm quite good at remembering details in music or things that people say, but I have a notoriously bad sense of direction. I'm also not particularly good at remembering details about my surroundings in general, but that's probably because I don't pay much attention to my surroundings as I should. My ability to remember people's names is probably my worst skill in memory though.

If you consider yourself to have a bad memory, is it because you're paying more attention to other things (like your own thoughts, for example)? My dad has an excellent memory for numbers, but he often seems forgetful, but I've noticed that he doesn't pay much attention to a lot of things. For most people, if you aren't focused on something, or don't care about it at all, your brain probably won't even bother to store the information.

 

[Yama]

I remember things that have an impact on me. If it's been along time since I've seen a show or movie, I remember the gist of what happens, but as for details I only remember scenes that I can vividly recall had some sort of lasting effect on me--such as being a dramatic and memorable scene, or kind of traumatizing, or I found I could relate to it, etc.

When it comes to studying, since that is very different than media, I remember most everything without actually studying. I go to class, pay attention, take notes, take the test and do pretty well if not excellent. I do all of my required assignments and homework and have never been late or failed to turn something in at all. This gives me the practice that I need to remember all the details I need to know for whatever exam we take.

As for people I can't remember jack shit. Unless you're my friend or someone I talk to fairly regularly and feel comfortable around (and even then it's not guaranteed), I just can't. I'll forget your name 5 seconds after you say it and then feel really bad that you remember mine. Apparently multiple guys from one of my classes know me by name (even though they've only heard it even be said when the professor calls out our names to come collect our assignments, which tends to be mass chaos) and call my name when they want to get my attention. I don't know anyone's name in there. Also, apparently some of them are in other classes with me. But... I... I didn't even recognize them. They're like "Hey Riley" and sit by me and start talking about what's going on in another class, and I put two and two together and realize we've got another class together. I would never have known unless they started talking about it. MULTIPLE TIMES. I've had one girl talk to me about another class we're in together, and I put two and two together, and then the next week forgot all about it and she did it AGAIN and I "re-discovered" we had another class together. I'm the fucking worst with remembering details about people. Also, if someone tells me about some problem they have, I won't follow up with them later usually because I'll forget they ever told me they had a problem at all. It kind of makes me feel like I don't care that much about others and their problems. Maybe I don't, who knows.

In short, media? It varies. School and information? I can remember that fairly easily. PEOPLE?? Fuck if I know.

 

[Smilephantomhive]

I'm also like a walking encyclopedia, but the encyclopedia only has like five subjects. But I'll be be able to tell you more than you want to know if I'm interested in it.

People really need to be careful about what they say to me because if I hear it then I'll probably remember it. I have a pretty good auditory memory, and it's amazing because my history teacher goes over things before quizzes.

That's all I can think of. I don't ever rember what people wear, and I recently discovered that people can remember smells and taste. I am literally incapable of recalling those.

 

[Yama]

Sensory details... impossible to remember. Did you get your hair cut? Unless it went from 3 feet long to a buzzcut I'm not going to notice. You changed your shirt? Nope, don't notice it.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

When I recently re watched Lost, it amazed me how blank I was. I suspect it is because I never made sense of the larger system. If I can't place a detail in a system it disappears.

Re watching "The Office" has been the opposite experience. I remember almost every line and facial expression. I think it is the emotional and relational content that sticks on my mind. It is the same for people I interact with. I tend to remember what people said and did in an emotional context. I didn't think I was so geared in that direction, so it has been a learning experience.

 

[cascadeco]

I don't think I have much of an idea. I'm pretty sure it's tied to what I care about or find important. So, growing up I was really into birds, and bird i.d., so I learned all of that and to this day still know and remember a lot of it.

I'm in no way, shape, or form an encyclopedia, though. I have a pretty awful memory for most things I've read -- I think it's because while reading I am just trying to pick up the overall picture, I am not *focusing* on *remembering* all of the details.

In school I was fine studying/memorizing and remembering for exams, because again, it's tied to the effort and conscious focus of remembering.

But without the lack of focus? I suppose I am good at knowing if someone's changed something about their appearance. Uh... that's all I've got at the moment! haha.

As kind of a different example, I have been reading Proust's really really long 7-volume book for about 9 months now, and I am really enjoying it. But I for the life of me don't even know or remember the actual title of it. Of a book I'm in the middle of!! (and I'm reading it via Kindle so I don't conveniently have it on a tangible book cover to look at!! But, that's an example of the sort of thing I don't find that 'matters'. Of course it makes me 100% useless in terms of conversations with people, but, yeah.

 

[Swivelinglight]

I remember things that I consider memorable. Things out of the ordinary. For example, maybe a good play that happens in a game. I often am very good at remembering what people say. I may not remember the exact wording (usually I get very close), but I almost never misremember the message. A good example would be my signature. I tend to not remember what people wear or what style their hair is in. I remember facial expressions when a interesting message is said along with it. Other times I mainly remember the gist of a event or idea. If I read an interesting article I'll remember the summary of it. Usually I read new articles so I forget old ones...but even old articles can pop back up if I need it, for example, in an argument or to inform someone about something interesting. The interesting thing about these kinds of things is that they become feelings almost, once they're deep in my subconscious and I haven't accessed them in a long time. For example, the other day a friend linked a video made from HowToBasic, and we were looking at funny youtube videos. And I just had this FEELING that I knew something relevant here, and it was funny. That's when I remembered ShoeNice, and brought him up to my friends to watch. So after a long time of not working with the memory I turn that memory into a feeling. For that example, I had a FEELING about a funny youtube video that I've seen that is relatable. I don't remember the memory at that exact moment of the feeling, but I know there's something related here. And usually I have to work my way through and think.. 'okay it's a youtube video, and it's funny, what else is it??...something about food and eating....OH SHOENICE' That's essentially how I convert that feeling of something relevant into a useful memory resource. And that's how I can come up with random associations like this. I don't know if it works that way for other people, but that's how it works for me.

 

[Redbone]

I remember huge amounts of random information without realizing that I'm doing it. It erupts when I am hit with some sort of trigger. It can be great or really unpleasant. I don't have much control over it.

I am really bad at noticing details. Things can change in the environment or even with myself and it goes right over my head. I'm really blind to it. Embarrassing. Get a haircut? Shave? Eyebrows missing? I may notice in a few weeks or maybe not at all.

Makes my work really stressful because I'm supposed to notice very small details in the records I am going over (I'm surprisingly good at it...gotta eat).

 

[Chrysanthe]

I feel as if I force myself to forget things which don't interest me... almost as if they were pieces of trash left on my floor which take up too much space and are not aesthetically pleasing to know. As a result, don't expect me to remember anything from any class I took last Junior year (excluding Human Biology, which was more entertainment than anything considering it was run by an ENTP teacher who enjoyed using his students for his own mind experiments and trolling).

Also, sometimes I know the answer to random questions without actually knowing I knew it...

not me: "Who did this at this time?"

Me: [Immediately a random name comes to mind which I have no familiarity with] "Oh I think it was [xxx]."

and when this happens I have a 93% chance of being correct.

This also tends to happen when I'm listening to a conversation without actually paying attention to what the other person is saying... I still get the general meaning of the message and can still answer with a completely reasonable response without knowing what words were used by the other person.

 

[miss fortune]

I am very bad at remembering what people look like... to the point where I've done things like go to teach someone to do something and it's someone I'd taught that skill to a few hours before but they had moved locations... and then they tell me something like "my name is Mary... don't you remember that you just taught me that? you spent half an hour talking to me!" I do this on a very regular basis... I will not remember Mary's name or appearance unless I see her almost daily for the next 3 months or so. Even after that I will probably not notice if she changes her hair or does something else appearance-wise unless it is drastic, like losing a leg or something. I can't even picture the faces of people I know very well if I am not looking directly at them

However, I'm great at remembering facts and quotes and numbers! Also locations... I'm awesome with locations

I tend to remember people by things like the manner in which they walk or how they talk

 

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