LPT Request: How you can bear in mind issues ‘correctly’
I learn articles/watch informative vids commonly however I cant appear to recollect data from it after a few days. For eg I watched struggle movies from yt channel Oversimplified they usually defined these fairly effectively however after some months I can’t bear in mind any of stuff from the movies. So when in public a dialog of the mentioned subject comes, a thought is available in my thoughts – ‘I’ll ship u the youtube hyperlink for it’ relatively than explaining it myself and that’s extraordinarily absurd trigger I’ve watched the vid or learn the articles. In order that’s my query as to learn how to bear in mind issues extra ‘correctly’? And ya this has nothing to do with faculty/school/job. Apologies if this query has been requested earlier than.
Comments ( 31 )
Learning by simply listening is the one of the weakest forms of learning and often doesn’t stick, as you can tell from experience.
Try being more active instead of just passively taking on information.
After watching, think about the video, think about situations where the information applies, write down a short summary of what you heard, or try explaining it out loud (to yourself or to another person). Also, take notes, but not directly during the video, rather, after the end of the video (if its short), or after each section / chapter. If you forget, simply re-watch and try again.
If it’s something you think is important, reread your notes the next day and next week as well.
And ultimately, accept that you’ll occasionally forget certain things. Knowledge of things you don’t regularly use fades away. That’s how everybody’s brain works.
I can’t help you but I just wanted to comment on this and say I am the same exact way. I can read/watch on how something works, but within an hour or so I completely forget it. I’m like that with most things. I just tend to forget it. I feel like most people are the opposite of me. They can read/watch something, and instantly it is absorbed into their brain. But me? Just goes in one ear and out the other.
So yeah you’re not alone. I would like to know how to remember more information too. Maybe certain vitamins / better diet that can help with memory?
Something to bear in mind is having reasonable expectations of yourself. Remember that a youtube explainer is (A) always a huge oversimplification of the facts (particularly from Oversimplified, I suspect), and (B) if reputable, the result of a large amount of research. You shouldn’t expect yourself to be able to tell somebody an interesting story about, say, the Napoleonic Wars in detail without having, like, studied the details.
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Note taking. Be they physical or digital notes. At the beginning it will be daunting but you will generally work out what suits you best and how you can maximize the process to work better for you. Helps to determine how engaged you are in the material covered as well, if you think it’s too much trouble to jot down a couple of key points, return to them after a while and either build over it or simplify further, then maybe, you’re not too much interested in the topic. If you learn better visually, add color to your notes (highlighters – ik it’s silly, but it does help me at least navigate quite faster on what I’m seeing and why)
Another thing I am noticing is, for me at least, I really have to limit the amounts of information I take, cause it indeed turns to consuming, and retention suffers greatly. For this purpose I reduced my YT sub greatly in the past 3-4 months (but I need to do more.) As a side effect however I was able to get a better idea, what subs are more interesting/meaningful for me, which are just for fun, which can benefit me, and which I am really passionate about.
I have the same issue with names… and it’s hard in a big company, additionally harder when the team constantly grows. Notes work for me here, since using people names helps remember them, and it keeps me well organized as well. However home-office makes things harder since you don’t often see said people -_-
Others have mentioned consuming information more actively and an aspect of this is reflecting on why certain details ‘matter’. So if we’re talking about history, you can have a specific event but it doesn’t exist in isolation, does it? It has a ‘meaning’ in the sense that it was a consequence of something or a cause of something else. It was also significant in the sense of fitting into a longer-running tendency. Think of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. On the one hand that seems like a set of events existing in one clump but we can also see them as part of a longer struggle for the rights of African Americans that leads back hundreds of years. So I think it helps to ask questions of the content as you’re consuming it – why does that detail matter? How does it fit into a bigger story? What are the bigger contexts that make it significant and worth remembering?
Note-taking. Use a note-taking app like Obsidian and create a library of notes from interesting videos/books/talks/articles. Read them daily. The more you write about a particular subject, the more you’ll remember.
After watching, pretend to explain it to someone from scratch.
If you *really* want to remember something, set a reminder in your phone for 1 week from when you watch it, and again attempt to explain it to someone.
You could also try breaking it down into the top 3 things you’d want to tell someone about the video (because really who wants to listen to a long lecture), in an order that makes sense, and work out how to get from 1 to 2 to 3. Make sure Thing 1 really sticks in your mind above all else.
What has worked for me is explaining the topic to someone else. Once you read or watch something, tell someone about it. And if you forget something, find that section and reread. I have been teaching as well for some years now and I still tend to forget my source material and need to come back to it. Even after working in the industry I teach in for 10 years. You just need to accept that you will forget some things.
Put them in locations in your mind. For instance its hard to remember all the people at an event, but it is simple if you “go around the room” and name them in order.
Your mind has all this info in there its just unorganized. Think of a place in your mind and store the info there. Then when you want it go back to that place.
Don’t do drugs. Even pot will fuck yo your memory for a few days after
There was another post here just this week about spaced repetition. I have personally used Anki for this purpose, and I have found it to be immensely helpful in recalling facts. I have used it to memorise vocabulary, quotes, trivia, philosophy, psychological biases and more, besides using it for my actual academic education.
Im never gonna remember all these good tips
It’s a really good reason to read books. Our brains don’t seem to absorb stuff when we’re passively watching; reading seems to be more “active” to our brains. This is *huge* if you’re really trying to learn a new skill.
I’m really involved in the “kids learning to shoot film and make darkroom prints in the digital age” trend, since I’ve shot professionally since long before digital, when film was the only thing. But I’ve realized we’re in this generation of “I only learn things on youtube” – mention a cool process or technique and it’s “can you send me a link to a video about this??” And I think this is a huge reason why experienced film workers are here, telling people why their film shots were ruined. Anyone can make a video, but books lay things out like a school course, and they’re vetted and peer-reviewed. Books of this nature (how to do difficult things) are *designed* to explain things in a way that sticks.
But for just casually having interesting info in your brain that sticks? Maybe part of that is being a little passionate about the subject. My wife’s eyes will just glaze over when I go into detail about the Apollo (moon landing) program of the 60’s. That’s a combination of being fascinated with it to probably some subconscious level, reading books and yep, watching videos. In that case, videos become one more “hammer” that “nails the information to your brain”.
I doubt there’s something “wrong” with you, we’re in an era where we’re simply addled with information, anything we’re casually interested in we can find info on, and our brains (in this era) seem wired for this constant yet passive input of information – *we’re using information as entertainment*. I think our brains can treat that like gummy bears vs. steak and potatoes. And “the internet generation” seems to need a *constant flow of stimulation*, whether it’s vital or just to pass the time. I think it’s affecting our ability to retain information.
Any teacher will tell you that splitting this info up makes it stick better – your brain is indeed “recording” stuff, but if you record it a 2nd way, it reinforces it. Simply taking notes and sketching diagrams has long been shown to make information retention more effective. But that’s not passive enjoyment, it’s more like “work” and may not be *why* you watch these videos.
I had a great boss that works teach me to do stuff like this. He would first show me step by step, then he would make me show him how to do it. Last he would watch me so it. This might not apply directly but it’s a fantastic way to teach and learn.
Your brain has limited resources. It usually throws away “useless” information after a while (yes, I know we all have random memories from childhood that stick no matter what, that doesn’t negate the general rule). That’s what happening here. As interesting as something might be in the moment, it’s just not important enough to your life to stick long-term, and that’s okay.
Honestly, this isn’t the problem you think it is. What matters is that you know how to find the information again if you need it. But if you want to make stuff stick better, then watching one video about it isn’t going to cut it. If it’s interesting, then dive in. Watch a few more videos. Read the Wikipedia articles on the people involved. If it’s a scientific/mathematical concept do the same, and don’t be afraid to click through to learn about related concepts. There’s nothing important in your life that you got shown how to do once, and then never thought about again for years. So just like anything important you need multiple exposures to tell your brain, “This is important. Hold onto it.”
Right after you watch any given video, explain what you just watched right back to yourself, out loud. Prentend you have an audience if that helps you. I tend to imagine I’m explaining things to my sister, because that’s who I’m probably going to have to explain it to IRL, eventually. She’s not that bright, so I have to keep it simple and clear. Good luck to you!
They say we retain something longer when we vocally discuss it or teach it to someone else. What I’ve personally found to work is, mentally “replay” it by imagining you’re explaining it to someone over the next few days. You don’t have to specifically set aside time but do it when you’re in the shower or out for a walk / at gym etc. This also helps one understand things better if you missed something the first time.
Take notes. What you’re describing is more common than people think, our memories can play tricks onus
Something I’ve only recently realized I do is when I’m bored I’ll have a fake conversation where I explain a topic I just learned about to someone. I get as detailed as I can and look up things I can’t remember or want to understand better, as I “play” both sides of the conversation and identify what follow-up questions they might ask.
One of my majors in college was speech communication, which had an emphasis in some classes on active listening. The suggestions they had that I use are
1. Make a very conscious choice before listening to tell yourself you are going to listen and find something of value. This sounds silly, but studies have shown that by taking this step you actively engage your long term memory.
2. If possible, take notes or questions for the end. Use a physical pen and paper so you can do it quick to get the question out and off your mind. Forget about it until the end.
3. Try to actively find overarching themes in what you are listening to and distill those themes into 3-5 main points. Your mind can only keep track of up to 7 distinct ideas with any real clarity, so 3-5 is the way to go. Literally think of them as an outline in your mind assigning a number to each. If you are a visual person picture writing it out (e.g. I. The US Involvement in WWII Actually Began in 1939 Through Providing Provisions to England. II. The Move of Forces to Pearl Harbor Escalated Tensions. III. By the Bombing of Pearl Harbor Roosevelt Felt War was already Inevitable). (Just used for demonstration). Remembering overarching themes helps you to remember the subpoints to each point by breaking it down into smaller chunks.
3. If it’s a live setting give active feedback. I.e. nodding and other cues of affirmation. It will keep you engaged.
4. Try to summarize what you just heard at the time you heard, either to the speaker or to yourself if the speaker is unavailable. For instance, “What I hear you say is …. Do I have that right?” If you are correct, then go back to the questions you wrote down.
Use it or lose it. You gotta tinker on things, dwell on them, share them, use them. If you don’t access the knowledge, your brain will ‘replace/deprioritize’ it with knowledge you do access often.
You’re not processing any of the information. This is the Achilles Heel of having so much Information thrown at us each day. If there’s no time dedicated to reading up about it, follow up research, conversations, and practical implementation of the knowledge, then it will be forgotten. Hence the YouTubers with scant information about topics, or people on TikTok pushing half-researched “facts”.
Take notes, write reflective notes in response to your original notes, process what you watched with another person.
When I was in college, I always found that if I review the information, study it, then “teach” the subject to an imaginary class or individual, it does two things for me:
1. Helps me identify what I don’t truly know.
2. Helps me remember the information.
Memorization of facts is very different from truly understanding a subject, the latter being a function of why and not just what.
Let me bookmark this thread and forget to circle back just like the other 200 items I’ve saved lol
Ebbinghouse curve my guy,
Essentially it’s inevitable that we forget most new information increasingly as time goes on unless you review regularly.
Remembering a random fact from a video you are not an expert on several months down the line is neigh on impossible for most people
I used to carry a note book that I took notes for about whatever, bc my memory is trash or ADHD… I called it “boodlesgalore’s brain”… Problem was I’m so forgetful, that I would forget to write things down in the 1st place.
A more unconventional way to learn and remember is to do the following:
Immersion.
Note taking for me is a big pain in the butt. I don’t want my everyday life to be like a classroom. I tend to latch on to key points of interest and research them separately.
For example, I have gained a recent interest in the Warhammer 40k lore. One of the biggest things that got me interested was playing a 40k video game and the dogmatic nature the humans in this sci fi universe. Looking into this, I then found out the emperor they all worship is hooked up to a giant machine on life support, why did this happen? Turns out there was a series of events in the 30k timeline that was the Horus Heresy, Where I then find out that the emperor of man was in solitude working to protect mankind from the legions of Chaos and Xenos threats in the universe and that he created several sons from his DNA, which each held unique traits, who were leaders of the various elite military factions. Where one of these leaders began to question the actions of the emperor and attempted to fight and overthrow his rule. the result of which left the emperor mortally wounded.
The spiral continues. Look for branches in the information you are watching and look them up to gain further context, you will find your base knowledge will remain, at least the relevant parts of it.
Hey dude you got a compelling question here!
Personally tho im sure I’m wrong I feel like memory capacities and or types is brain-connectomic / neurodevelopmental more so than learned but I would be happy if someone who knows more neuropsychology than me has evidence against this. Well yes here is some evidence. Can drivers memories for spatial layouts increase the more they do it and it’s a use it or lose it increase.
I have PTSD so have certain memory distortions but my raw verbal or semantic memory and memory for viewed imagery is above normal.
If I read or listen to or watch something I like I remember it very well, if I have a good relationship with someone I similarly remember almost everything things which often surprise the person.
Yet interestingly you mention war docs… im not a history person I think for this reason. In philosophy, physics, cognitive science, maths, etc, I can compress remembered information under broader “principles” that relate to one another and see the uniques instances in those areas as Instantiations of them.
History was a harder subject for me.
I welcome any historians of history buffs to point me in the direction of something like a description of a process for understanding history (I imagine it overlaps here with other areas like philosophy and sociology, thinking for example of Hegel’s focus on history).
Hell i overall just want exposure to a compelling work of history. Or a work of historical theory.
Sorry to hijack
The thread.
I welcome memory techniques as well. Overall this is a compelling questions.
To /u/The_666Advocate : could there be situational or environmental factor impediment you here. I find in some threads when ppl complain of “remembering” they are often overlapping the complaint with those of *attentive vigilance*. Are you being distracted by task unrelated woreied anxieties, objects or movement in your niche?
There’s a big difference between memorizing and understanding. What you’re trying to do is memorize, and it will only get you so far. To understand something, you need to relate it to things you already know.
Learn a new verb? Picture someone you know (or yourself) performing the meaning of that verb. For example, when I say “defenestrate” you picture someone falling out of a window.
Learn a new skill at a job? Picture yourself training someone else how to do it. Or picture yourself doing it right after another common task, going from one thing directly to the other.