In one ear and out the other is an apt description (and common refrain) for what ails many people (and bothers many housewives whose husbands simply refuse to remember important things) when it comes to their memory. As quickly as they've learned something or been told something, it's vanished from their mind without a trace, as if it was never there.
In a way, it never was, and that's the real reason why people have trouble remembering certain things, but not others. The issue is not in the brain's ability to remember things, which we all possess, but the way in which our interest in the thing to be remembered either imprints it into our memory, or lets it flit away on the wings of indifference. This is especially relevant when it comes to remembering people's names.
"Some people, perhaps those who are more socially aware, are just more interested in people, more interested in relationships," said Kansas State University Psychology Professor Richard Harris. "They would be more motivated to remember somebody's name."
That level of interest carries over into all aspects of remembering things, be it dates, phone numbers, chores, or other random bits of knowledge or information; what we're interested in is far more likely to remain in our minds long after other information has come and gone.
The trick then is to show more interest in all the information you come across, and not take things for granted, or expect that you'll have no trouble remembering them when the time comes to do so. Absorb information like a sponge and it will be there, ready to be squeezed out onto the tip of your tongue when needed.
If it seems that no matter how hard you try, you just can't seem to remember things, you can also try several memory tricks to better absorb the information, such as using mnemonics.
"If somebody's last name is Hefty and you notice they're left-handed, you could remember lefty Hefty," advised Professor Harris.
How good is your memory? Do you have trouble remember people, directions, or dates? If so, what have you done to help improve it? Let us know in the comments below.
