[themanster]

Anyone else suffer from this problem? Like when I go downstairs to get something, I do lots of other stuff, then go back up to realise I forgot what I wanted to do. It kinda worries me, seeing as I'm only a teenager.

So am I normal or am I some sort of freakshow?

 

[Edwood]

Having short term memory is often just being absent minded. Particulary when you are on the go, in a hurry to go somewhere. Unless you are literally forgetting things that you did a few minutes ago while sitting in a room, a la Memento or something, I wouldn't be too worried about it. You don't find yourself repeating yourself in conversations a lot, do you? I'm pretty notorious for repeating myself, but some have found it interesting how the second time was almost identical to the first time.

-Ed

 

[Edwood]

Having short term memory is often just being absent minded. Particulary when you are on the go, in a hurry to go somewhere. Unless you are literally forgetting things that you did a few minutes ago while sitting in a room, a la Memento or something, I wouldn't be too worried about it. You don't find yourself repeating yourself in conversations a lot, do you? I'm pretty notorious for repeating myself, but some have found it interesting how the second time was almost identical to the first time.

-Ed

 

[Gabe Logan]

I would not classify it as a problem so no you are not a freakshow

.You yourself say that when downstairs other thing's get done which in turn will make you forget what you ultimately were going for.That to me is totaly normal.Or am i weird too

But in reality i get that way when lack of seep for long periods of time or even constant stress.

 

[rsabo]

I was going to post something helpful, but I forgot what the topic was.
Um, ah, that amp has excellent synergy with those cans.

(I have the same problem, all the time.)

 

[allenf]

My Wife laughs at me for doing stuff just like that all the time (getting distracted and forgetting what it was I wanted to do in the first place).
Best one was when I forgot to buy some sausages from the supermarket for a sausage casserole, popped back to the supermarket...and came home with some neat stuff - but forgot the sausages again

It's an attention span thing: if the situation isn't interesting to me I'll think about something else.

 

[Zorander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood Having short term memory is often just being absent minded. Particulary when you are on the go, in a hurry to go somewhere. Unless you are literally forgetting things that you did a few minutes ago while sitting in a room, a la Memento or something, I wouldn't be too worried about it. You don't find yourself repeating yourself in conversations a lot, do you? I'm pretty notorious for repeating myself, but some have found it interesting how the second time was almost identical to the first time. -Ed

Ditto.

I noticed though that lately I have been less able to commit things to memory than when I was a teenager (I could say I had a near-photographic memory then). It does not mean I have become more forgetful (what makes it into my memory never gets forgotten - it's the ability to commit that seems to be on the decline). Does anyone else suffer from the same phenomenon or is it just me?

 

[erikzen]

What's this thread about again?

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood -Ed

OK, that made me laugh...

 

[PinkFloyd]

Yeh I'm suffering from it myself at the moment but I put it down to the sleeping pills I'm on. I go outside to get a screwdriver and once I'm in the workshop my head is just blank and I stand there thinking "what the hell am I here for?" It's either the pills or I'm going senile!

 

[Ticky]

I found that my short-term memory took a drastic dip after starting work. I don't think it's an age thing.

The reason probably comes from the fact that you at a point in life where you have much more responsibilities and the "tiny" things going on in your life to deal with. Thus, it becomes difficult to just commit things to memory rather than putting them down.

When I was still in college, my average number of items committed to short-term memory per day is probably less than half of what I have to juggle with now. With exception of memorizing for exams, I only have to remember what classes to go to, the occasional extracurricular activity, the once a month phone bill, etc. Now, I have client bills, personal bills, multiple reports, memos, stock portfolio management, personal finances, etc., competing for space with my other personal life details. So, it's not unusual to be absent minded.

So, don't fret too much. You're most likely normal.

 

[mrarroyo]

Man this thread is a life saver, I thought I was going senile

This thread also validates "misery loves company", it is kind of good to see I am not alone.

 

[KYTGuy]

A Phi Beta Kappa man, my engineering department head at the academy, no less, told me many years ago: "A man can go down the road of life carrying only so much mental baggage, Guy - there comes a point in anyone's career when, if you pick something up, you have to put something down". It gives me such comfort at this time of my life...

 

[trains are bad]

I'm only 20, and I do this stuff all the time. I forget names; the other day someone asked me what day of the week it was and I honestly had no idea. I have no sense of time flow whatsoever. I find the world boring so I outsource common tasks to the reptilian part of my brain so I can be thinking about some thing else at the same time.

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpalmer OK, that made me laugh...

I'm glad to see someone got the joke. I haven't had a real double post error in a few days.

-Ed