The Most Powerful Way To Remember Everything You Read - Jordan Peterson

Summary

The speaker discusses their memory technique, akin to the ancient 'memory castle' method, to prepare for lectures by visualizing a pathway through the central topic, supported by stories and facts. They emphasize the importance of active recall in learning, suggesting students should read, write down what they remember, and associate new knowledge with personal experiences to internalize it. The speaker also advises creating a study schedule to avoid last-minute cramming, highlighting the effectiveness of spaced repetition and active summarization over passive reading.

Takeaways

• 🔍 The speaker does not have a photographic memory and does not organize information by page numbers.
• 🤔 The speaker prepares for a lecture by meditating to identify the central topic and a pathway through the argument.
• 🏰 The speaker uses a 'memory castle' technique to remember points and stories, visualizing them in a known place like a house.
• 📚 The importance of turning what you're learning into images for better memory retention is emphasized.
• 📝 After studying, it's recommended to write down what you've learned to practice remembering, which aids in knowledge retention.
• 💭 The act of recalling information is crucial for remembering and making the material readily available for use.
• 🌟 To improve learning, associate new knowledge with problems you're currently trying to solve, making the information your own.
• 📅 The speaker advises students to create a study plan and use a scheduler to manage their university career effectively.
• 🚫 Cramming for long hours is not effective; instead, study in shorter, more focused sessions with breaks.
• 💤 Studying and then sleeping helps with memory retention more than continuous studying without rest.
• ✍️ Summarizing what you've read without looking at the book is a useful technique for reinforcing memory.
• 🚫 Highlighting in a book is not as useful as actively engaging with the material through reading, closing the book, and summarizing.

Q & A

Does the speaker claim to have a photographic memory?

No, the speaker explicitly states that they do not have a photographic memory.

How does the speaker prepare for a lecture?

The speaker sits down for about 20 minutes with eyes closed to determine the central topic and pathway of the lecture, including the main argument and possible branches.

What technique does the speaker compare their memory process to?

The speaker compares their memory process to the 'memory castle' technique, which involves associating memories with specific locations in a familiar place.

What is the speaker's method for remembering points during a lecture?

The speaker associates each point with a collection of stories and facts to make the point interesting and memorable.

What advice does the speaker give for effective studying?

The speaker advises to study, then write down or recall what was learned without looking at the book, as practicing remembering helps to solidify the information.

How does the speaker suggest students should approach their university career?

The speaker suggests treating the university career like a full-time job, using a scheduler to plan out studying and assignments to avoid last-minute cramming.

Why does the speaker believe cramming is an ineffective way of studying?

Cramming is ineffective because it requires prolonged periods of concentration that are difficult to maintain, and it does not allow for the beneficial spacing out of study sessions and sleep cycles that aid in memory retention.

What does the speaker suggest is a more effective method than highlighting for studying?

The speaker suggests that reading, closing the book, and summarizing the material without opening the book is a more effective method than just highlighting.

What is the importance of making knowledge your own according to the speaker?

Making knowledge your own is important because it changes the structure through which you view the world and alters the way you think, which in turn affects how you converse and engage with the material.

What is the 'plan of attack' the speaker recommends for students?

The 'plan of attack' involves creating a detailed study schedule, including assignment deadlines, and setting aside specific times for studying to ensure a structured and organized approach to learning.

How does the speaker describe the process of turning knowledge into images for better memory retention?

The speaker describes the process as imagining a familiar place, like a house, and placing the things to remember at different locations within it, turning the information into images that can be 'walked through' to recall the memories.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Memory Techniques and Lecture Preparation

The speaker denies having a photographic memory and describes their process of preparing for lectures. They mention a methodical approach to identify the central topic and pathway of the lecture, akin to the 'memory castle' technique. This involves visualizing a familiar place and associating lecture points with different locations within it. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of practicing recall to solidify memory, suggesting that students should write down what they've learned to reinforce their memory. Additionally, they recommend creating a study plan and using a scheduler to manage university work effectively.

Keywords

💡Photographic Memory

Photographic memory refers to the ability to recall images, objects, or events with high precision and in great detail, akin to a photograph. In the script, the speaker denies having a photographic memory, emphasizing instead the importance of structured preparation for lectures and study.

💡Lecture Preparation

Lecture preparation involves the process of planning and organizing the content and delivery of a lecture. The script describes the speaker's method of sitting down with closed eyes to determine the central topic and pathway of the lecture, highlighting the importance of preparation for effective communication.

💡Central Topic

The central topic is the main subject or focus of a lecture or discussion. The speaker mentions identifying a central topic as the first step in preparing for a lecture, indicating that it sets the direction for the entire presentation.

💡Memory Palace

A memory palace, also known as the method of loci, is a mnemonic device that involves associating items to be remembered with specific locations in a familiar place. The speaker uses this technique to organize and recall lecture content, likening it to walking through a house and retrieving memories from various rooms.

💡Mnemonic Device

A mnemonic device is any learning technique that aids in memory retention. The script references the memory palace as an example of a mnemonic device that has been used for centuries to help people remember complex information.

💡Studying Techniques

Studying techniques refer to methods employed to learn and retain information effectively. The speaker suggests writing down what has been learned as a way to practice remembering, which is a key component of studying techniques mentioned in the script.

💡Recall

Recall is the act of bringing back or reproducing in the memory something previously learned or experienced. The script emphasizes the importance of recall in the learning process, stating that the act of remembering is what makes the material readily available for use.

💡Knowledge Internalization

Knowledge internalization is the process of making learned information one's own by understanding and applying it. The speaker advises students to take the knowledge they acquire and make it their own, which involves associating it with personal experiences or problems.

💡Cramming

Cramming is the act of studying intensively for a short period before an exam, often as a last-minute effort. The script criticizes cramming as an ineffective study method, advocating instead for spaced repetition and active recall.

💡Spaced Repetition

Spaced repetition is a learning technique that involves reviewing information at increasing intervals over time, which has been shown to enhance long-term memory. The speaker recommends this method, suggesting that studying and then sleeping, followed by more studying, is more effective than cramming.

💡Summarizing

Summarizing is the process of condensing information into a brief form while retaining the essential points. The script mentions summarizing as a useful studying technique, where one closes the book and writes down the main points to reinforce memory.

Highlights

The speaker does not possess a photographic memory and relies on a methodical approach to prepare for lectures.

A 20-minute meditation session helps to determine the central topic and pathway of a lecture.

The importance of identifying the main question to be addressed in a lecture is emphasized.

A technique similar to the 'memory castle' method is used to organize and remember lecture content.

Transforming information into images and placing them in a familiar location aids memory retention.

The speaker's method of adding and rearranging information in their 'memory castle' is described.

The value of practicing remembering through writing down or recalling information is highlighted.

Associating new knowledge with personal problems can enhance understanding and retention.

The act of recalling information is crucial for embedding it into memory.

Students are advised to create a study plan and use a scheduler for effective learning.

Treating university education like a full-time job increases the likelihood of success.

Cramming for exams is an ineffective study method due to limited concentration spans.

Spacing out study sessions with sleep in between enhances memory retention.

Highlighting is not as effective as summarizing without the book for learning retention.

The recommendation for students to develop a plan of attack for their courses is reiterated.

Using a Google Calendar or similar tool can help in strategizing and managing study time.

The ineffectiveness of prolonged study sessions without breaks is discussed.

Transcripts

would you say you have some kind of a

photographic memory a little bit or no

no no no not at all not at all so all

these books you are you the kind that

you can say page 73 no I don't organize

myself that way usually before a lecture

Al this is the hard part and I can do a

lecture without doing this but it's

better if I do this this is the hard

part I'll sit down for 20 minutes with

my eyes closed and I figure out what the

what the central topic is so there's

always a question what's the question

I'm trying to address in this lecture

and then I'll figure out a pathway

through it it's like okay well here's

the argument here's point one here's

Point 2 here's point three and there's

possible branches off those and then

with each point I usually have a

collection of stories and facts that I

can use to make the point and and to

butress it and to make it interesting

and so it's kind of like this technique

called memory castle that people have

used for centuries to remember things

and so what you do is you you sit and

you you imagine a might be a place that

you know like a lit a geographic place a

house and then you can place place the

things that you remember imagine you

walk through the house you can place the

things that you want to remember at

different locations in the house but you

have to you have to turn what you're

remembering into an image and then you

can walk through the house and and you

can lift things up and find what it is

that you're trying to remember I sort of

do that with this Theory I know the

story and I know its branches and I keep

adding to it and adding to it and

shifting pieces around from time to time

and so that's how I remember things this

is also a very useful hint for studying

like if you're studying it you have to

remember what you want to do is study

and then you want to write down what you

just learned so you read a paragraph you

close the book and you write down what

you remember or you read a chapter and

you close the book and you write down

what you remember or at least you sit

there and you try to remember because

the way you remember is by practicing

remembering okay so if you're reading

and you want to use it in conversation

and you have to think about what you

read you have to put it in your own

words it's off often help to close the

book and write it down or to associate

it with some problem that you're uh

currently trying to solve you have to

take the knowledge and make it your own

and then and then that alters the

structure through which you look at the

world and that changes the way that you

think so that when you have a

conversation the next time that you're

going to have the conversation in a

different way so merely reading isn't

enough you have you have to read and

think and recall and it's the AC of

recalling that produces the remembering

and it's that act of remembering that

puts that material at hand for you one

of the things that I would

recommend that you do as students um in

this course and and maybe in every

course speaking of industriousness is

come up with a plan of attack for the

course and use a scheduler you know if

you treat your University career like a

full-time job you're much more likely to

succeed so for example if you sat down

today or tomorrow for a couple of hours

three hours and you filled in a Google

Calendar whatever you happen to use with

a a strategy for studying and a list of

when all your assignments are due and

all of that and when you're going to sit

down and study then you won't be in a

position where you have to cram for 10

hours a day hopelessly right before you

know an important exam it's also a very

ineffective way of studying by the way I

mean first of all people who cram for 10

hours say they're studying for 10 hours

but they rarely are because well I can't

study for 10 hours I don't have the of

concentration that would enable me to do

that for that prolonged period of time I

can manage about 3 hours of intense

intellectual activity before I'm pretty

done and it's also the case that if you

study and then sleep and then study and

then sleep and then study and then sleep

you space it out then you're much more

likely to remember you're much more

likely to remember if you try to recall

the material and so highlighting in that

sort of thing isn't very useful but

reading closing the book summarizing

what you've read without opening the

damn book that's

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useful