Memory: How to Develop, Train, and Use ItAtkinson, William Walker
Science
Memory: How to Develop, Train, and Use It
Atkinson, William Walker
Memory
The phase of memory connected with the remembrance or recollection of
names probably is of greater interest to the majority of persons than
are any of the associated phases of the subject. On all hands are to be
found people who are embarassed by their failure to recall the name of
some one whom they feel they know, but whose name has escaped them. This
failure to remember the names of persons undoubtedly interferes with the
business and professional success of many persons; and, on the other
hand, the ability to recall names readily has aided many persons in the
struggle for success. It would seem that there are a greater number of
persons deficient in this phase of memory than in any other. As Holbrook
has said: "The memory of names is a subject with which most persons must
have a more than passing interest.... The number of persons who never or
rarely forget a name is exceedingly small, the number of those who have
a poor memory for them is very large. The reason for this is partly a
defect of mental development and partly a matter of habit. In either
case it may be overcome by effort.... I have satisfied myself by
experience and observation that a memory for names may be increased not
only two, _but a hundredfold_."
You will find that the majority of successful men have been able to
recall the faces and names of those with whom they came in contact, and
it is an interesting subject for speculation as to just how much of
their success was due to this faculty. Socrates is said to have easily
remembered the names of all of his students, and his classes numbered
thousands in the course of a year. Xenophon is said to have known the
name of every one of his soldiers, which faculty was shared by
Washington and Napoleon, also. Trajan is said to have known the names of
all the Praetorian Guards, numbering about 12,000. Pericles knew the
face and name of every one of the citizens of Athens. Cineas is said to
have known the names of all the citizens of Rome. Themistocles knew the
names of 20,000 Athenians. Lucius Scipio could call by name every
citizen of Rome. John Wesley could recall the names of thousands of
persons whom he had met in his travels. Henry Clay was specially
developed in this phase of memory, and there was a tradition among his
followers that he remembered every one whom he met. Blaine had a similar
reputation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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