This post is inspired by Moonwalking with Einstein, and is part of our “BrainBomb” series. If you are inspired by the idea in this post, download the BrainBomb desktop wallpaper: (1440 x 900) or (1920 x 1200). Here are the first, second and third posts in this series. If you want a video summary and workbook for this book, sign up for a free trial of Read It For Me Pro.
We used to use our brains
Once upon a time, memory was the root of all culture. It was the way that customs, traditions, and knowledge got passed from generation to generation. If you wanted to “know” something, you had to commit it to memory. For thousands of years, all of histories great stories and customs were passed on by word of mouth – which is to say that they were committed to memory.
But not any longer
When we (in the 21st century) think of committing something to memory, our first thought is to find a place that we can record it so we can access it at a later date. In the last few hundred years, we would put pen (or printing press) to paper, and pull it up when the time was appropriate. In the last 25 years or so, we transitioned from paper to bytes on a computer. In the last 5 years or so, we transitioned from bytes on a computer to bytes on a phone. And if we didn’t record what we are looking for, surely we could just Google it, right?
I’ll just Google it instead
The one argument against training your memory is we will always have the world at our fingertips. The problem with this reasoning is that there are a number of important situations I can think of where “I’ll just Google that” is not a viable option. Like in the middle of an important meeting, for instance. It’s also a lot like cramming for an exam at the end of the semester – the information just doesn’t stick. If it doesn’t stick, you’ve lost your ability to use it.
What’s your take – do we need to be training our memories, or can we truly rely on Google for everything we need to know?
