Do ILIs-INTps have good memories and easily absorb information?
Do you (INTps) have naturally adept, highly capable memories, or do you need to work hard to absorb and memorize facts/ideas/etc.? If the latter is true, do you undertake the effort because you believe it's your duty to memorize and understand facts in order to arrive at the truth, or at least the most effective way to act? Do you do it because you find it enjoyable? Or is it something else altogether?
I know that I'm easily able to remember facts if they relate to something important or personally significant to me (most of my "facts" are tidbits about people I know and care about), but otherwise I have to spend lots of time memorizing them before they enter into my long-term memory. I'm more of a generalizer as opposed to a particularizer (not a word, I realize). It's an arduous and ungratifying process, in my experience, and I marvel at anyone else's ability to do this.
Thoughts?
Re: INTps and memory capacity
Quote:
Originally Posted by uninspired
Do you (INTps) have naturally adept, highly capable memories, or do you need to work hard to absorb and memorize facts/ideas/etc.? If the latter is true, do you undertake the effort because you believe it's your duty to memorize and understand facts in order to arrive at the truth, or at least the most effective way to act? Do you do it because you find it enjoyable? Or is it something else altogether?
I know that I'm easily able to remember facts if they relate to something important or personally significant to me (most of my "facts" are tidbits about people I know and care about), but otherwise I have to spend lots of time memorizing them before they enter into my long-term memory. I'm more of a generalizer as opposed to a particularizer (not a word, I realize). It's an arduous and ungratifying process, in my experience, and I marvel at anyone else's ability to do this.
Thoughts?
my memory works spatially. i can easily memories facts on textbook pages provided that i look at them. unfortunately, my memory of people telling me *very important* things is average or below. my musical memory is very good, but i believe this is partially due to years of training, possessing a naturally good musical ear, and also due to my tendency to think of music as, primarily, structure (i.e. spatial relationships).
i believe there's a direct correlation between my ability to memorize and my interest in the subject. i often stare through books/television screens when bored or preoccupied, appearing to watch intently, but really not paying any attention. if i become interested in the tv for even one second, i will remember exactly that dialogue or scene for quite some time. i remember seeing this thing about beta fish and bubble nests, and then playing with the image (and emerging analogy) in my mind for a couple months afterwards. it bothered me that i could not find a picture on the internet which looked like that one photo on the tv. but honestly, i probably only watched 2 minutes of the show and i couldn't for the longest time remember the name of the fish (only remembering what the bubble nest looked like).
i'm not exactly sure what you mean by finding memorization enjoyable. i'm also not sure what you mean by "truth." is it necessary to memorize facts to arrive at the truth? sure, to an extent. but having too many useless facts will make detecting the motion of life (whereby we derive the "truth") difficult. basic knowledge of innerworkings / sum & parts should suffice.
Re: INTps and memory capacity
it varies. if it's visual or verbal, i'll remember it that way. but in pieces. like if i'm learning a language, i'll remember a segmant from years past of someone mouthing the word, or an event i can attach it too. i can remember back to nursery school.
as for facts, if i need to know something, i'll break it down into pieces so small that when i'm done i become an expert on the subject. one thing i hate most is not knowing something when i need to know something. and while i can make the answer (and sometimes do), i would rather know and understand it better than anyone. i'm the super informed shopper.
i generally don't do something unless i understand it fully.
if the facts bore me, then forget it. it's gone before i turn my head. i never did well in school because of this.
mostly i think i need to know things, because deep down inside, while i don't like to be used - i need to be wanted. and since i lack i social skills, romantic skills, friendship skills, etc. i become a human tool of information. so atleast on a minimal level i might be useful to someone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by uninspired
Do you (INTps) have naturally adept, highly capable memories, or do you need to work hard to absorb and memorize facts/ideas/etc.? If the latter is true, do you undertake the effort because you believe it's your duty to memorize and understand facts in order to arrive at the truth, or at least the most effective way to act? Do you do it because you find it enjoyable? Or is it something else altogether?
I know that I'm easily able to remember facts if they relate to something important or personally significant to me (most of my "facts" are tidbits about people I know and care about), but otherwise I have to spend lots of time memorizing them before they enter into my long-term memory. I'm more of a generalizer as opposed to a particularizer (not a word, I realize). It's an arduous and ungratifying process, in my experience, and I marvel at anyone else's ability to do this.
Thoughts?
Re: INTps and memory capacity
i agree on the music part. i can remember any song that i ever listened too. thousands of them, or more, even after hearing it once. each time i hear it, it becomes more detailed. but the weird part is, while i can hear the whole song, i can't sing or hum along. it's like i'm hearing it, but that's it.
i can't do that with normal verbal patter. unless it's song in harmony, then it's stuck there like glue.
Re: INTps and memory capacity
Quote:
Originally Posted by uninspired
Do you (INTps) have naturally adept, highly capable memories, or do you need to work hard to absorb and memorize facts/ideas/etc.? If the latter is true, do you undertake the effort because you believe it's your duty to memorize and understand facts in order to arrive at the truth, or at least the most effective way to act? Do you do it because you find it enjoyable? Or is it something else altogether?
I know that I'm easily able to remember facts if they relate to something important or personally significant to me (most of my "facts" are tidbits about people I know and care about), but otherwise I have to spend lots of time memorizing them before they enter into my long-term memory. I'm more of a generalizer as opposed to a particularizer (not a word, I realize). It's an arduous and ungratifying process, in my experience, and I marvel at anyone else's ability to do this.
Thoughts?
My memory is a little bit better than others but its nothing superb or worth idolizing over. I don't find the process of memorizing to be fun but rather I feel that I need to properly gather information in order to develop applications from the data. When it comes to just learning more about the world I hardly ever sit down over facts to memorize them. I just want to learn more so I can exercise the information in my :Ni: fantasy land.