Memory Part 6

To remember stories, anecdotes, fables, etc., the principles given above are to be employed. The main thing in memorizing an anecdote is to be able to catch the _fundamental idea_ underlying it, and the epigrammatic sentence, or central phrase which forms the "point" of the story. Be sure that you catch these perfectly, and then commit the "point" to memory. If necessary make a memorandum of the point, until you have opportunity to review the story in your mind. Then carefully review it mentally, letting the mental image of the idea pa.s.s before you in review, and then repeating it to yourself in your own words. By rehearsing and reviewing the story, you make it your own and will be able to relate it afterward just as you would something that you had actually experienced. So true is this principle, that when carried too far it endows the story with a false sense of actuality--who has not known men who told a story so often that they came actually to believe it themselves? Do not carry the principle to this extreme but use it in moderation. The trouble with many men is that they attempt to repeat a tale, long after they have heard it, without reviewing or rehearsing in the meantime. Consequently they omit many important points, because they have failed to impress the story as a whole upon the memory. In order to _know_ an anecdote properly, one should be able to _see_ its characters and incidents, just as he does when he sees an ill.u.s.trated joke in a comic paper. If you can make a mental picture of an anecdote, you will be apt to remember it with ease. The noted story tellers review and rehea.r.s.e their jokes, and have been known to try them on their unsuspecting friends in order to get the benefit of practice before relating them in public--this practice has been called by flippant people: "trying it on the dog." But it has its good points, and advantages. It at least saves one the mortification of being compelled to finish up a long-drawn out tale by an: "Er--well, um-m-m--I'm afraid I've forgotten just how that story ended--but it was a good one!"

CHAPTER XX.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS.

In this chapter we shall call your attention to certain of the general principles already mentioned in the preceding chapters, for the purpose of further impressing them upon your mind, and in order that you may be able to think of and to consider them independent of the details of the special phases of memory. This chapter may be considered in the nature of a general review of certain fundamental principles mentioned in the body of the work.

POINT I. _Give to the thing that you wish to memorize, as great a degree of concentrated attention as possible._

We have explained the reason for this advice in many places in the book.

The degree of concentrated attention bestowed upon the object under consideration, determines the strength, clearness and depth of the impression received and stored away in the subconsciousness. The character of these stored away impressions determines the degree of ease in remembrance and recollection.

POINT II. _In considering an object to be memorized, endeavor to obtain the impressions through as many faculties and senses as possible._

The reason for this advice should be apparent to you, if you have carefully read the preceding chapters. An impression received through both sound and sight is doubly as strong as one received through but one of these channels. You may remember a name, or word, either by having seen it in writing or print; or else by reason of having heard it; but if you have both _seen and heard_ it you have a double impression, and possess two possible ways of reviving the impression. You are able to remember an orange by reason of having seen it, smelt it, felt it and tasted it, and having heard its name p.r.o.nounced. Endeavor to know a thing from as many sense impressions as possible--use the eye to a.s.sist ear-impressions; and the ear to a.s.sist in eye-impressions. See the thing from as many angles as possible.

POINT III. _Sense impressions may be strengthened by exercising the particular faculty through which the weak impressions are received._

You will find that either your eye memory is better than your ear memory, or vice versa. The remedy lies in exercising the weaker faculty, so as to bring it up to the standard of the stronger. The chapters of eye and ear training will help you along these lines. The same rule applies to the several phases of memory--develop the weak ones, and the strong ones will take care of themselves. The only way to develop a sense or faculty is to intelligently train, exercise and use it. Use, exercise and practice will work miracles in this direction.

POINT IV. _Make your first impression strong and firm enough to serve as a basis for subsequent ones._

Get into the habit of fixing a clear, strong impression of a thing to be considered, from the first. Otherwise you are trying to build up a large structure upon a poor foundation. Each time you revive an impression you deepen it, but if you have only a dim impression to begin with, the deepened impressions will not include details omitted in the first one.

It is like taking a good sharp negative of a picture that you intend to enlarge afterward. The details lacking in the small picture will not appear in the enlargement; but those that _do_ appear in the small one, will be enlarged with the picture.

POINT V. _Revive your impressions frequently and thus deepen them._

You will know more of a picture by seeing it a few minutes every day for a week, than you would by spending several hours before it at one time.

So it is with the memory. By recalling an impression a number of times, you fix it indelibly in your mind in such a way that it may be readily found when needed. Such impressions are like favorite tools which you need every little while--they are not apt to be mislaid as are those which are but seldom used. Use your imagination in "going over" a thing that you wish to remember. If you are studying a thing, you will find that this "going over" in your imagination will help you materially in disclosing the things that you have not remembered about it. By thus recognizing your weak points of memory, you may be able to pick up the missing details when you study the object itself the next time.

POINT VI. _Use your memory and place confidence in it._

One of the important things in the cultivation of the memory is the actual use of it. Begin to trust it a little, and then more, and then still more, and it will rise to the occasion. The man who has to tie a string around his finger in order to remember certain things, soon begins to cease to use his memory, and in the end forgets to remember the string, or what it is for. There are many details, of course, with which it is folly to charge the memory, but one should never allow his memory to fall into disuse. If you are in an occupation in which the work is done by mechanical helps, then you should exercise the memory by learning verses, or other things, in order to keep it in active practice. Do not allow your memory to atrophy.

POINT VII. _Establish as many a.s.sociations for an impression, as possible._

If you have studied the preceding chapters, you will recognize the value of this point. a.s.sociation is memory's method of indexing and cross-indexing. Each a.s.sociation renders it easier to remember or recollect the thing. Each a.s.sociation gives you another string to your mental bow. Endeavor to a.s.sociate a new bit of knowledge with something already known by, and familiar to you. In this way to avoid the danger of having the thing isolated and alone in your mind--without a label, or index number and name, connect your object or thought to be remembered with other objects or thoughts, by the a.s.sociation of contiguity in s.p.a.ce and time, and by relations.h.i.+p of kind, resemblance or oppositeness. Sometimes the latter is very useful, as in the case of the man who said that "Smith reminds me so much of Brown--he's so _different_." You will often be able to remember a thing by remembering something else that happened at the same place, or about the same time--these things give you the "loose ends" of recollection whereby you may unwind the ball of memory. In the same way, one is often able to recollect names by slowly running over the alphabet, with a pencil, until the sight of the capital first letter of the name brings the memory of those following it--this, however, only when the name has previously been memorized by _sight_. In the same way the first few notes of a musical selection will enable you to remember the whole air; or the first words of a sentence, the entire speech or selection following it. In trying to remember a thing which has escaped you, you will find it helpful to think of something a.s.sociated with that thing, even remotely. A little practice will enable you to recollect the thing along the lines of the faintest a.s.sociation or clue. Some men are adept memory detectives, following this plan. The "loose end" in memory is all the expert requires. Any a.s.sociations furnish these loose ends. An interesting and important fact to remember in this connection is that if you have some one thing that tends to escape your memory, you may counteract the trouble by noting the a.s.sociated things that have previously served to bring it into mind with you. The a.s.sociated thing once noted, may thereafter be used as a loose end with which to unwind the elusive fact or impression. This idea of a.s.sociation is quite fascinating when you begin to employ it in your memory exercises and work. And you will find many little methods of using it. But always use natural a.s.sociation, and avoid the temptation of endeavoring to tie your memory up with the red-tape of the artificial systems.

POINT VIII. _Group your impressions._

This is but a form of a.s.sociation, but is very important. If you can arrange your bits of knowledge and fact into logical groups, you will always be master of your subject. By a.s.sociating your knowledge with other knowledge along the same general lines, both by resemblances and by opposites, you will be able to find what you need just when you need it. Napoleon Bonaparte had a mind trained along these lines. He said that his memory was like a large case of small drawers and pigeon-holes, in which he filed his information according to its kind. In order to do this he used the methods mentioned in this book of comparing the new thing with the old ones, and then deciding into which group it naturally fitted. This is largely a matter of practice and knack, but it may be acquired by a little thought and care, aided by practice. And it will repay one well for the trouble in acquiring it. The following table will be found useful in cla.s.sifying objects, ideas, facts, etc., so as to correlate and a.s.sociate them with other facts of a like kind. The table is to be used in the line of questions addressed to oneself regarding the thing under consideration. It somewhat resembles the table of questions given in Chapter XVII, of this book, but has the advantage of brevity. Memorize this table and use it. You will be delighted at the results, after you have caught the knack of applying it.

QUERY TABLE. _Ask yourself the following questions regarding the thing under consideration. It will draw out many bits of information and a.s.sociated knowledge in your mind_:

(1) WHAT?

(2) WHENCE?

(3) WHERE?

(4) WHEN?

(5) HOW?

(6) WHY?

(7) WHITHER?

While the above Seven Queries are given you as a means of acquiring clear impressions and a.s.sociations, they will also serve as a Magic Key to Knowledge, if you use them intelligently. If you can answer these questions regarding anything, you will know a great deal about that particular thing. And after you have answered them fully, there will be but little unexpressed knowledge regarding that thing left in your memory. Try them on some one thing--you cannot understand them otherwise, unless you have a very good imagination.