Miscellaneous | I learned a system for remembering everything

December 7th, 2023

Introduction:

This video was interesting to me because I feel it touches on key ideas that I’m pursuing with this blog. It talks about memory in individuals, and how externalizing information is really the key to remembering things in the long term. It is the first blog entry that I’ve written that does not discuss technology explicitly, but I think is worthwhile to write about. In this blog that I’m currently creating, I may not be 100% correct on all information that I am attempting to summarize, but I’m hoping that in the long term, with consistent writing and re-visiting of topics, the ideas will be cemented for practical application, and at minimum each post will be useful as a reference to look back on.

Interview with Ryan Holiday:

Matt D’Avella (video creator) decides to seek advice from someone known for extensive reading and memory recall, leading to an interview with Ryan Holiday, an author who claims to have read over 3,000 books.

Ryan Holiday’s Reading and Note-Taking Habits:

In the interview with Ryan Holiday, Matt explores the author’s reading and note-taking habits. Ryan’s system involves taking notes while reading, transferring key points to note cards, and categorizing them by theme for organized external storage.

Testing Ryan’s System:

The three main components of Ryan’s system: taking notes while reading, revisiting and revising the notes, and categorizing them by theme. The effectiveness of this system is linked to how the brain processes information over time.

Enjoying the Learning Process and Keeping it Slow and Steady:

The video suggests that adopting a systematic approach to note-taking can lead to better retention and application of information, and that enjoying the learning process is critical in retention.

The note-taking process will very likely be slow and methodical, and it can definitely create antsy feelings especially when comparing to the speed at which you were reading previously without note-taking. The emphasis is on understanding that the goal is not superhuman speed but meaningful digestion of information.