St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1896-06-06
ART OF REMEMBERING WELL.

ART OF REMEMBERING WELL.
Rules Which, II Fsllowed, VIII aid In
Strengthening the NEcmoIs.
To remember well, the thing must
| first be well "neuaBered. Distinct
ness of impressions and ideas is Of primo
| importance for certainty in remember
ing. When we look ct distinct and
weH-defned photograph of a friend, we
nre able to promptly associate with it
the person whose likeness it Is. But,
should the photograph be poor and con-
fused in its outlines, there will exist an
uncertainty as to whether it is the Ike
ness of a given person. Hence the
necessity fer the first impression to be
clear and well defined; for, SO far as the
act of memory is concerned, a confused
| idea may be as accurately reproduced
as a clear one, but the mind, in endeav-
oring to- grasp It, will be thrown into .
state of uncertainty as to the image
reproduced. This induces hesitation,
which may often be as unfortunate as
the entire loss Of the power of recall
ing the image. This is clearly shown
in the case of a person Of limited mental
training, when the attempt is made to
quote something either heard or read,
and somewhat outside Of their usual
line Of thought. Having at first failed
TO master thoroughly the connected
ideas, when the attempt is made to
recall them, memory faithfully repro
duces the ideas confused and indistinct,
because the images impressed on the
centers were so; hesitancy results, since
they do not know whether to interpret
their recollection as meaning one thing
for something different.
Another cause of failure of memory
Is due to lack of observing connec-
tlons between related ideas. If the con
nections in pressed be confused the mind
in recalling them will be in the saEle
conditions of uncertainty, as when deal
ing with ill-defined ideas. Connections
must be as distinctly impressed as ideas
themselves; for when the first center
is caused to act it will start all related
centers into activity. Energy is then
saved by having to start but one rather
than all the centers in a series. Take
the learning Of a theorem in geometry
as an instance OF this. First, master
the theorem in detail, understanding
clearly what are t he given conditions
and what their com binations is to prove.
Then master, with equal clearnees, each
successive step and the logical eonnec-
To n pnfp
demons The result is, sue
eession of connected ideas has been i'm
pressed, the first being the theorenl.
and the last the statement of the thirg
to be proved. The theorem being
given, the demonstration will readily
follow, just as the wheels in watch are
set in motion when the balance wheel
begins to cscilIate.
Many persons can scarcely under
stand how it is possible to learn many
languages and keep them distinct. This
is rendered possible through the associ-
alton of ideas; when one thoroughly
commits all he learns about one Lam
guage he may study as many as be
pleases without danger of confusion.
These same considerations apply to
reading to advantage, There is GEL
tainIy no advantage in reading a great
deal and not being able to remember it.
There is opportunity here to solve The
problem of maxim acquisition, ~ with
due economy of time and mental ex-
ertion. The question is solved when
one can distinctly recollect what's read
without getting different subjects
mixed up iii q tumble. The method is
plain; understand what the author
states, select the leading ideas and note
carefully their connections, and the
book or article is the readers.
Obviously the same principles apply
to all the affairs of everyday life. BY
being a close observer, and noting the
details and their relation accurately,
the confusion and labor of trying to re-
member will vanish.
Accepting. then, the definition that
memory is a. arepetition of u former men
tai act due to recurrence of the sex-
citation which first gave rise to it, this
brief survey may serve to point out the
general lines of it's cultivation -Popu-
lar Science News.