Intuitive person needs to be more fact-oriented

[Celadon]

I'm a pretty intuitive person by nature, which has its strengths. But I am NOT and never have been good with facts and memorizing things.

 

Does anyone have tips for becoming good at remembering information, facts, figures, etc? I have very poor recall, so my weakness in this area makes it hard for me to be convincing in conversations. I'm always talking in generalities since I can't remember specifics.

 

Example: Many people will be able to talk about their favorite movie, quoting lines, remembering characters' names, noting the nuances of the plot. ME? I know I liked the movie, I can hum the music, I remember how I cried during the film, but what the characters were named or in what year the movie was set, or even what country it took place in -- NOPE.

 

I feel my lack of having information on the top of my mind is limiting me socially, and it's gotten frustrating. Any tips? Thanks.

[xSerendipityx]

You know, I am kind of the same way. In order for me to even remember things, I have to watch a movie over and over and over again, but still parts fade and I remain clueless. I figured it was due to my lack of organization in thought or what professionals put it ADD. *sigh*

 

I wish I had more insight on how to recall similar things too.

[live.ur.life]

That's OK...You don't have to be like everyone else. Some people are just natural at paying FULL attention to detail and remembering it all. There are very few and in between people like this though and there is nothing wrong with what you remember. What you remember about a movie or story or whatever is just as important as what someone else remembered. If everyone thought the same way, the world would be bland and boring. If I were you, I wouldn't even worry about it. Don't give yourself the opportunity to put yourself down. You already have enough on your plate as it is. You are a good person and you are as interesting as everyone else. You are!

[shikashika]

I think I have great intutition.. i always have a hunch on things and am almost always right, even if they seem to be the strangest of scenarios.

 

But I am awful with attention to detail and focus.

 

However, I remember people's names very well. And i have a visual memory. I can visualise my seating plan from grade 4 and where everyone sat and all their names as well.

[Creative]

I couldn't remember actor/actress' names / place's names / directions either. Generally speaking, I prefer to communicate with people who talks about meanings / patterns / visionary stuff. If their favorite thing is cars, cell phones, or places, I generally don't associate with them very well... nor do I really want to. Why do I need to adapt when there are so many people who is into what I'm into?

 

Just be focused when driving. That's the only bad thing I see in a highly intuitive person.

[Celadon]

Thanks for the encouraging words, everyone. Yeah, I agree that we are all different and I needn't discount what I remember or how I remember. I actually used to date an artist, and he was even more general and emotions oriented when he talked than I am, lol.

 

The other reason for my question, though, is that I do need to remember facts and figures for my work. That's also where I want to step up my game a bit. In the past I've relied on being able to look up information, but most of the time it's better to have info in your head. (Sort of like if everyone were to be talking about Product X and I can't contribute to the conversation because I can't recall very much, even though I want to.)

 

So ... if anyone has tips on remember this kind of stuff, please let me know. xSerendipityx, I relate to what you said about going over and over and over something. I might need to do that!

[NowandZen]

I am your opposite, more cognitive than intuitive. It might help though, to think in pictures.

[Celadon]

Thanks, NowandZen. I'm not sure how to do that, exactly, but I'd like to learn. If you have an example to share, I'm all ears. Thanks!

[NowandZen]

Ok, I am supposing that you are better with faces than names, correct? So if you are trying to remember that the actor who played Red in "The Shawshank Redemption" was Morgan Freeman. (I hope you have seen the movie)

 

You can probably see his face in your minds eye. His face is wide, so he has MORE face than some others. He was in prison (you can see that right?) so he wasn't a FREE MAN.

 

MORgan FREE MAN.

 

Your process may be different, but that's the idea.

[Celadon]

I think I get it. I'll try it. Thanks for the advice!

[Red Fox]

Does anyone have tips for becoming good at remembering information, facts, figures, etc?

 

It depends on what way you remember things best. For example lots of people find they remember things easier if they have something to look at (as NowandZen suggested).

 

Using diagrams, pictures, colours and symbols might help. Similarly if you create acronyms that may help. An easy and well known example might be ROY G BIV. It looks a little bit like a name and it helps people remember the colours of the visible spectrum (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet). Rhymes can also work if you can make one up. Index cards with key facts on and reviewing these frequently could help. Also having to explain it to someone else does really help. If you had to explain the plot of a film to someone straight after watching it you'd probably find it easier to remember later on.

 

If you have to memorize a passage or some facts then cut out all the unnecessary stuff. For example if you have to remember the following:

 

"Bob had to drive the bus. It was his job and although if he wanted to still get paid he would have to keep driving it, it wasn't the fact he had to drive it that kept him driving. No, what kept him driving was the fact that he loved driving the bus even if he perhaps went a bit too fast."

 

You can cut that down to very little and add pictures in to help. For example you might imagine a picture of a man with a big smile in a speeding bus holding a payslip. That is much easier to remember than all the writing above and acts as a kind of prompt and gets accross the essence of the story.

[Celadon]

Thanks, Red Fox. I see what you're saying about having different ways to remember information. Think I'll need to roll up my sleeves and get busy methodically memorizing -- but if that's what it takes ... I'll do it.

 

Especially since my lack of ability to converse has gotten really painful. Today at work was painful. I felt like I had nothing to say. I just could NOT connect with people. It felt like I was inside a house and watching all the other kids play outside. What's that old saying: "all work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy"? Yeah, that's what I felt like... This may be a topic for another thread, but sometimes I feel like I don't even know what I think about things, because I don't know enough to form any opinions...

[Crazyaboutdogs]

Play to your strengths. You are very intuitive and that in itself is very important. There are just some people who are natural talkers...can remember all kinds of information..and yet, lots of those people have no intuition whatsoever. So while they can remember little details that they heard somewhere, they may overlook things that are just under the surface..things that you are able to pick up on. You are probably a keen observer of situations and that is where your intuitiveness comes in. I was a bench scientist for many years and was not like the others. I could not remember all the things I read in a scientific paper, all the facts, all the experiments, all the findings, all the author names. It was just not my strength to remember those things and try to impress people with that kind of knowledge. I excel in the fact that I am highly intuitive, can really see beneath the surface of a situation and am very resourceful...can do what it takes to find information and relay it to others. I now have a job which allows me to really make use of my strengths. I am not sure how old you are but as you get older you will find your niche and people on the job will recognize your unique talents and will be grateful for them. The talkers in this world are a dime a dozen..yes, they may sound impressive...but you have skills that they just don't have...carve your own path in the workplace by using those skills and don't worry as much about trying to be like everyone else.