My weakness is to remember people names. Nevertheless, I am good at remembering people faces.
So what I do to improve my memory on names is by adding images. Of course, those names with clear meaning would be easy to remember. For example if I meet a man by the name of Hamdi. I will form a mental image of his face. It is easier if he has some beard. Then I would link to my friend named Hamdi who has been already established in my mind with beard since I knew him many years ago.
This approach of linking images of a person that you already established in your mind is called ‘Picture a Name’.
Another way is to add wordplay. My friend Hamdi is a family man with few beautiful, lovely daughters. He is a family man too. Correct, aa..Hamdi?Basically, my new friend is a family man too. So I might connect these fact to his name: Hamdi…Daddy. So every times I meet my new friend, I would remember, Hamdi..the daddy.
Again sometimes, I can’t use wordplay because there is nothing to manipulate. I will move to characterization. This is getting more difficult, my dear friend.
Here, I need to think about what kind of person he looks like. A gentle face..or a condescending one? This one is dangerous too..I may be bias in my way of characterization and that would influence my true opinion of him. I got to be extra careful then. ha…
Last but not least, what I do is to combine all these methods.
In fact, now I know, that is what my mind has been doing all these while. The only flaw is: I didn’t realize it has worked out so well on me….
In fact, at the end of the day, nothing great about it…..punnnn……ha..ha..ha……
(Sorry, Dr Hamdi. jangan marah…just want to laugh like the great old days)
Idea-logy 