Comment by MSFT_Edging | Hacker News Reader

Comment by MSFT_Edging | Hacker News Reader

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I've always felt like I have awful short term memory. I use tiling WMs so I can see information side-by-side. If I need to type something exactly, I forget the exact details almost immediately.

I need to derive things to understand them, ie music theory. I'm jealous of people who can memorize and take at face value but if I'm looking at a chord, I need to know the components that create that chord, which gets frustrating because music has a lot of rules that seem to be based on vibe and closeness. Two things can be identical but distinct based on their context.

It used to take me 2-3x as long to do homeworks or labs compared to other classmates. Same with work assignments. It often triggers an imposter syndrome type feeling.

Yet I have proof that I'm capable of solving complex problems, I understand certain things almost immediately compared to others, other things I need to study for a long time.

I tend to rarely know an answer on the spot, but I know how to determine many things, by knowing how to find the information needed.

I don't pretend to be a genius, but I have proof via a degree, others opinions of me, and material results that basically say I'm intelligent to a point.

Once I get into a flow I can retain a fairly complex system in my head but before or after that state, it's a terrible blur where I can barely focus my eyes.

Source: Principal Software Engineer, 25+ YOE.

You are far smarter than you think.

Learn to get into flow, and also figure out how to get your state back faster... Once you do, it is a super power.

Simple things like leaving your editor/IDE open, create the same situation you left. I personally use music + IEMs to help me block sound and focus. -30-35 DB off the IEMs, and +70DB off my music... yeah, I don't hear anything.

I learned the editor trick recently, though I'd probably done it un-intentionally for years. I stopped, and I was wondering what the inertia I was facing was. It is only 2-3m to get setup... that's 2-3m to lose my thoughts, etc.

Good luck.

The reason I love vim and i3/kitty so much as a combination is exactly this. I have 4 monitors in the exact state I left them when I get back, with the last TODO comments I added and what the problem was (that I thought about deeply overnight).

For me the best way to get into the flow is by directly getting back to where I left. If I take time to wake up, make breakfast or anything else I usually lost my ideas already and it takes me hours to get back to them.

If you have a truly great idea. Write it down.

Just writing it down, will help you remember. If not: You have the paper.

>Just writing it down, will help you remember.

This is underrated. And, specifically...writing it down, with a pen or pencil. Typing it doesn't seem to have the same effect, even with some ritual of typing it into a fresh/separate document.

I'll second this. And something I've discovered is that using a good pen makes so much difference in the experience of writing.

I used to use whatever cheap ballpoint was around, and I had terrible handwriting. But on a friend's recommendation I tried a fine point gel pen, the Uniball Signo DX 0.38mm. It's such a joy to write with and my handwriting is orders of magnitude more legible.

There's apparently a whole world of pens (and pen enthusiasts) out there: https://www.penaddict.com/top-5-pens

I use emacs for everything I write for the same reason. Code, email, notes, plans, etc. I do all in emacs. The consistency in editing text helps me focus on what I am writing.

The only other software I usually have running on my work computer is a web browser.

I've always told friends that I have a massive knowledge graph on disk, and very low RAM. Reaching every leaf takes traversing the hierarchy, but it allows me to make connections and remember better over the long term.

People are always blown away by my ability to recall a story perfectly or create 2 page white boarded proofs, but inability to remember my SSN or why I entered a room.

Hey, do you drink alcohol ?

A few years back I accepted a challenge to take a year off drinking from a family member.

I cannot tell you how much it improved my memory.

Before that I was always losing things, frustrated I couldn’t remember the names of things etc.

After about 3 months I felt like I had doubled my memory.

I wasn’t really a heavy drinker, but I would go for a few months having 1-2 beers a day.

Anyway just curious if you drink and have tried taking a break?

Piggybacking to share very similar circumstances and results, though memory improvement while noticeable was not quite as dramatic. What was dramatic? Immediately dropped ten pounds landing me at my ideal weight. Without trying.

This would of course have a positive impact on your vascular health and your brain right ?

Hm... maby I should start drinking and then stop. With any luck my memory is already bottomed out and can only get better.

I'll have a week where I have alcohol in stock, finish it, and not buy it again for a few weeks. So not super regular anymore. I've had drinkier periods but I can't tell if it actually effected anything.

I have ADHD and I relate a lot. Do you as well?

Not OP but identify strongly and yes.

I have never been more seen in my life. It's very frustrating, especially when other people tend to extrapolate the little they know and apply it to everything. It can be frustrating when others are right but for the wrong reasons, and not even know it.

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