How to remember occurrences. The phase of memory which manifests in the recording of
and recollection of the occurrences and details of one's every day life is far more
important than would appear at first thought. The average person is under the impression
that he remembers very well the occurrences of his every day business, professional,
or social life, and is apt to be surprised to have it suggested to
him that he really remembers but very little of what happens to him during his
waking hours. In order to prove how very little of this kind is really
remembered, let each student lay down this book at this place, and,
then, quieting his mind, let him endeavor to recall the incidents of the
same day of the preceding week. He will be surprised to see how very
little of what happened on that day he is really capable of recollecting. Then
let him try the same experiment with the occurrences of yesterday. This result will
also excite surprise. It is true that if he is reminded of some particular
occurrence, he will recall it more or less distinctly, but beyond that he
will remember nothing. Let him imagine himself called upon to testify in court regarding
the happenings of the previous day or the day of the week before, and
he will realize his position. The reason for his failure to easily remember the
events referred to is to be found in the fact that he made no effort
at the time to impress these happenings upon his subconscious mentality. He allowed them
to pass from his attention, like the proverbial water from the duck's back.
He did not wish to be bothered with the recollection of trifles, and in
endeavoring to escape from them, he made the mistake of failing to store them
away. There is a vast difference between dwelling on the past and storing away
past records for a possible future reference. To allow the records of each day
to be destroyed is like tearing up the important business papers in an office in
order to avoid giving them a little space in the files. It is not
advisable to expend much mental effort in fastening each important detail of the day upon
the mind as it occurs. But there is an easier way that will accomplish
the purpose, if one will but take a little trouble In that direction,
we refer to the practice of reviewing the occurrences of each day after the active
work of the day is over. If you will give to the occurrences of
each day a mental review in the evening, you will find that the act
of reviewing will employ the attack tention to such an extent as to register the
happenings in such a manner that they will be available if ever needed thereafter.
It is akin to the filing of the business papers of the day for possible
future reference. Besides this advantage, these reviews will serve you well as a
reminder of many little things of immediate importance which have escaped your recollection by reason
of something that followed them. In the field of attention, you will find
that a little practice will enable you to review the events of the day in
a very short space of time, with a surprising degree of accuracy of detail.
It seems that the mind will readily respond to this demand upon it.
The process appears to be akin to a mental digestion, or rather a mental
rumination, similar to that of the cow when it choose the cud that it
has previously gathered. The thing is largely a knack, easily acquired by a
little practice. It will pay you for the little trouble and time that you
expend upon it. As we have said, not only do you gain the
advantage of storing away these records of the day for future use, but you
also have your attention called to many important details that have escaped you, and
you will find that many ideas of importance will come to you in your moments
of leisure rumination. Let this work be done in the evening when you feel
at ease, but do not do it after you retire. The bed is
made for sleep, not for thinking. You will find that the subconsciousness will
awaken to the fact that it will be called upon later for the records of
the day, and will accordingly take notice of what happens in a far more
diligent and faithful manner. The subconsciousness responds to a call made upon it in
an astonishing manner. When it once understands just what is required of it,
You will see that much of the virtue of the plan recommended consists in the
fact that in the review there is an employment of the attention in a manner
impossible during the haste and rush of the day's work. The faint impressions are
brought out for examination, and the attention of the examination and review greatly deepen
the impression in each case, so that it may be reproduced thereafter in a
sentence. It is the deepening of the faint impressions of the day. Thurlow
Weed, a well known politician of the last century, testifies to the efficacy
of the above mentioned method in his memoirs. His plan was slightly different from
that mentioned by us, but you will at once see that it involves the
same principles, the same psychology. Mister Weed says, some of my friends
used to think that I was cut out for a politician, but I saw
at once a fatal weakness. My memory was a sieve. I could remember
nothing, dates, names, appointments, faces. Everything escaped me. I
said to my wife Catherine, I shall never make a successful politician, for
I cannot remember, and that is a prime necessity of politicians. A politician
who sees a man once should remember him forever. My wife told me that
I must train my memory. So when I came home that night, I
sat down alone and spent fifteen minutes trying silently to recall with accurate see the
principal events of the day. I could remember, but little at first.
Now I remember that I could not then recall what I had for breakfast.
After a few days practice, I found I could recall more. Events came
back to me more minutely, more accurately, and more vividly than at first.
After a fortnight or so of this, Catherine said, why don't you
relate to me the events of the day instead of recalling them to yourself.
It would be interesting, and my interest in it would be a stimulus to
you. Having great respect for my wife's opinion, I began a habit of
oral confession, as it were, which was continued for almost fifty years.
Every night, the last thing before retiring, I told her everything I could
remember that had happened to me or about me during the day. I generally
recalled the very dishes I had for breakfast, dinner, and tea, the
people I had seen and what they had said, the editorials I had written
for my paper, giving her a brief abstract of them. I mentioned all
the letters I had seen and received, and the very language used as nearly
as possible when I had walked or ridden. I told her everything that had
come within my observation. I found that I could say my lesson better and
better every year, and instead of the practice growing irksome, it became a
pleasure to go over again the events of the day. I am indebted to
this discipline for a memory of unusual tenacity, and I recommend the practice to
all who wished to store up facts or expect to have much to do with
influence men. The careful student, after reading these words of thurlough Weed,
will see that in them he has not only given a method of recalling the
particular class of occurrences mentioned in this lesson, but has also pointed out a
way whereby the entire field of memory may be trained and developed. The habit
of reviewing and telling the things that one perceives, does and thinks during the
day naturally sharpens the powers of future observation, attention, and perception. If
you are witnessing a thing which you know that you will be called upon to
describe to another person, you will instinctively apply your attention to it. The
knowledge that you will be called upon for a description of a thing will give
the zest of interest or necessity to it, which may be lacking otherwise.
If you will sense things with the knowledge that you will be called upon to
tell of them later on. You will give the interest and attention that go
to make sharp, clear and deep impressions on the memory. In this case,
the seeing and hearing has a meaning to you and a purpose. In
addition to this, the work of review establishes a desirable habit of mind.
If you don't care to relate the occurrences to another person, learn to tell
them to yourself. In the evening play the part yourself. There is a
valuable secret of memory embedded in this chapter, if you are wise enough to
apply it,