Memory issues

[Hal76]

Is anyone else's memory a bit weird?
Example. If someone gives me a list of instructions I quite often struggle to remember them all.
However, I seem to retain tons of useless information without really trying - e.g I can reel off all the US presidents, Kings and Queens of England, details of TV shows I watched when I was a child and the names of lots of films and film directors with relative ease.
This is actually very useful when I'm doing quizzes. But is anyone else here like that?
Is it a Dyspraxic thing?

[arthmelow]

Is anyone else's memory a bit weird?
Example. If someone gives me a list of instructions I quite often struggle to remember them all.
However, I seem to retain tons of useless information without really trying - e.g I can reel off all the US presidents, Kings and Queens of England, details of TV shows I watched when I was a child and the names of lots of films and film directors with relative ease.
This is actually very useful when I'm doing quizzes. But is anyone else here like that?
Is it a Dyspraxic thing?

I think its a personality thing.

The bf isn't dyspraxic, and has excellent memory for facts and figures. I seem to be better at working things out and looking things up and making conclusions. I know a fellow dyspraxic is better at the things you describe, and he's got a similiar way of thinking to the bf.

I'm not sure about cause and correlating between dyspraxia and personality. It may be that the dyspraxia forces us to focus our types of intelligence into areas where the dyspraxia doesn't hinder as much, or focus our brainpower into working out the stuff that dyspraxia makes difficult. Or it may be that dyspraxia doesn't affect your personality and how you think in this manner.

What you talk about sounds like dominant Si.
http://www.cognitiveprocesses.com/intro ... nsing.html

:-)

[Nicky]

Hello,
I think it may well be a dyspraxic trait, as when they test you for dyspraxia, they test your working (short term) memory. I think our long term memory is meant to be a lot stronger. I can often remember specific things people said when I was 3, but if I'm thinking "take your coat Nicky, remember your coat," I'll almost certainly forget it!

[Nicky]

Hello,
I think it may well be a dyspraxic trait, as when they test you for dyspraxia, they test your working (short term) memory. I think our long term memory is meant to be a lot stronger. I can often remember specific things people said when I was 3, but if I'm thinking "take your coat Nicky, remember your coat," I'll almost certainly forget it!

[donnaf]

I'm very much like Nicky. I have the most amazing long term memory, I can rermember whole conversations n loadsa useless info, but I have trouble remembering what I did yesterday, unless it gets fixed in my long term memory for whatever reason!

[rah]

my short term memory is awful. i'm terrible with instructions, i have to get people to repeat them over and over again and then i still forget!

my long term memory is pretty good though.

[Greg]

My memories horrendous, but I don't think it's a dyspraxic trait (Since that's more of a short term memory thing?)

I'm sure one day I'm going to say something along the lines of "Oooh, I remember her, yeah what was her name again...dammit...oh yeah - mum"

[Daniel]

My short term memory's useless but if I have time for something to sink in then it can stick, hence I'm something of a buff on nostalgic trivia.

It can very difficult if in a group of new people where names are trying to be learnt. If someone goes around the group and introduces me, by the end of it I will likely know the name of - none of them. I generally find I have to learn a single name at a time, keep going over it in my head and find a way of making it stick.

This has rather led me to dismissing the importance of names when in such situations. Others get in a twist if they can't remember someone's name but I have to admit that it isn't going to happen for me so I tend to remember people based on where they're from which for some reason sticks a lot more easily.

[rah]

oh god...names! i'm absolutely terrible with them, which isn't very helpful in my job!

i worked out the other day that technically i should know the names of about 230 children. add to that the 70 people that work in my department and then something like 90 other members of staff.....i've got no chance!

considering, i don't think i'm doing too badly though. but like daniel, if i'm introduced to a group of new people all at once there's no chance.

[Page]

I have no short-term memory to speak of.

When someone tells me something, I have to focus intently on it or it will be gone at the slightest distraction.

This leaves me completely unable to multitask.

[Daniel]

Multi-tasking isn't easy, that's for sure. When I've been working the only way I can remember to do everything is to write everything down on post it notes or a notepad. I've got a PDA now which I try to use to organise myself better.

[Liz944]

I find that my short term memory is dire.... I hate asking fo directions or getting instructions on how to do something as I get past the first 2 parts of the instructions and the rest has gone... so end up asking someone else again...