Question

I think the memory limitation is the most vexing hindrance Shortly after I finish a book, I tend to forget a lot of it. If forgetting is bound to happen, the reading is useless! How can I tackle this problem?

Community Answer

Take notes and highlight/underline important phrases. Take note of interesting pages and passages. Writing down the notes will help encode things in your memory better. And be sure to be mindful when you read! Really get immersed, think about what you're reading, and let it sink in. Don't rush through it. But also understand that, unless you're reading a textbook or reading a book for the purpose of studying something in detail, there is no need to remember all the details. It's normal to forget most of the details of most books you read, just as you forget most of the details of most days of your life. That does not render the experience useless. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me."