Why do I feel I forget everything I learn?

It’s a frustrating experience: you study diligently, soak in the knowledge, and then—poof!

It feels like it’s all vanished when you need it most.

Why does this happen?

The Brain’s Natural Filter: Overcoming Information Overload

Imagine your brain as a library, but with an eccentric librarian who’s very selective about what books get shelf space.

Every day, you’re bombarded with information, from the mundane to the critical.

If your brain stored every single detail, it would be overwhelmed.

This selective memory is actually a survival mechanism.

Think about a computer trying to run smoothly with thousands of tabs open—eventually, it crashes. Your brain prevents this by filtering out what it deems unnecessary.

The Importance of Forgetting: Making Space for What Matters

Consider a gardener pruning plants.

Without regular trimming, the garden becomes overgrown and chaotic.

Similarly, your brain “prunes” memories to make room for new growth.

This process is essential for cognitive health and learning efficiency.

For instance, researchers discovered that people often forget what they’ve learned when it’s no longer relevant. This makes sense—why remember an outdated phone number when you’ve updated your contacts?

Use a Zettelkasten, a personal tool for thinking and organizing knowledge that creates an interconnected web of thoughts.

Obsidian is a great one.

You don’t have to remember everyhting, you just have to know where to look for information.

The Role of Meaning and Repetition: Strengthening Memory

Memories fade fast if they lack meaning or aren’t reinforced.

Hermann Ebbinghaus, a pioneer in memory research, famously illustrated this with his “forgetting curve.”

He found that without active review, we forget 80% of what we learn within 24 hours.

However, by adding personal significance and regular repetition, you can dramatically improve retention.

Think of learning a poem by heart in school; those lines often stick with you because they were repeated and tied to a meaningful experience.

Practical Steps to Retain What You Learn

To keep your memory garden flourishing, here are actionable steps:

1. Create Connections: Link new information to what you already know. The more connections, the stronger the memory.
2. Review Regularly: Schedule periodic reviews of new information. Spacing out reviews helps solidify memories.
3. Use Mnemonics: Employ memory aids like acronyms or visual imagery to make information more memorable.
4. Teach Others: Explaining what you’ve learned to someone else reinforces your understanding and memory.
5. Engage Multiple Senses: Read, write, speak, and listen to new information. The more senses involved, the better the retention.

Real-World Example: The Power of Forgetting

A study involving touch-typing highlighted the brain’s ability to forget old habits to learn new ones. Participants who were told they could forget their previous training performed better when learning a new typing task than those who weren’t. This shows that consciously letting go of irrelevant information can actually enhance learning.

Embrace the Journey: Learning as an Ongoing Process

Understanding that forgetting is a natural and necessary part of learning can be empowering.

It’s not a flaw, but a feature of your brain’s design.

Focus on strategies that reinforce important information.