Do People With Photographic Memories Make Fewer Mistakes in Life?

I remember thinking, after reading the Old Testament for the first time,

Man! When will the Children of Israel learn?! They keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. And as a result, complaining about life has turned into a cultural art form. Why don't they just remember what happened to them the last time they forgot Jehovah, built idols, and ended up in bondage? Surely, then, they would avoid repeating the choices that lead to negative consequences in the past.

The answer is, because they are stupid; just like us.

What Does It Mean to Be Stupid?

First, let's define stupidity. Stupid (adj.) — "having or showing a lack of ability to learn and understand things." In other words, society identifies stupid people by their inability to recall and process information.  Chronically forgetful, dolts are doomed to repeat their mistakes again & again. They seem never to learn.

I recognize my tautological fallacy in claiming people are stupid because they are stupid. However, I want to unpack what it means to not have the "ability to learn and understand things."

Assumptions

I'm about to make some assumptions:

GOOD: Those who do remember the circumstances surrounding past failures are more likely to turn from the behaviors which led to those negative consequences.
BAD: Once the memory of a negative consequence is forgotten, one is more likely to repeat the antecedent.

Do Smart People Actually Repeat Fewer Mistakes?

Ideally, I'd like to believe that people can recall the past as if it were the present would repeat significantly fewer mistakes in life that people who possess poorer memories.  But what other factors go into decision making. Assuredly, the answer to that question would depend on myriad factors, but it's safe to say that possessing an eidetic memory would definitely help in avoidance future painful consequences.

Christian McConnell, IQ of 180, submitted his personal account to Quora on what it's like to live with an eidetic memory.  This is an excerpt from what he wrote:

I remember every person I have ever seen, I walk through a crowded mall, and remember people that I have only glimpsed once before. I remember every conversation I have ever had. When I say in perfect detail, I do not exaggerate. I do not remember, I relive. To me memories are as real as current time, it's hard to differentiate real life from memories. This is because I remember every feeling, smell, taste, sound, everything I see, every thought I have. Time really has no meaning I can never really tell what is real unless I experience something really truly new, something I don't have a memory for.

Let us take a moment to consider Christian's situation.  On the one hand, life must be dull for someone with no need for memory. He must be constantly seeking out new experiences in order to feel alive. Or maybe, like Phil Connors from Groundhog day, he repeats actions over and over again, tweaking minute details each time, in order to identify cause-effect relationships.

I, for one, am grateful for need to remember. Because I struggle to remember, making correct decisions in life is not always easy. Challenges make success so much more enjoyable in the end.

Obligatory Video Game Analogy

For example, let me draw an analogy between navigating life and playing the video game, Dark Souls—the more intelligent you are (your ability to learn from past experience), the more likely you are to survive in the future. A "genius" might still fall off the same cliff twice in a row, not because he or she forgot that the cliff was there, but because of something new that they hadn't experienced before. We all begin this life with varying degrees of intelligence, just like we all have different skill levels and aptitudes for video gaming. An increased amount of intelligence (or experience/memory) in gaming will equip you with the skills/know how to properly cross terrain, face enemies, and generally navigate the world without dying. To give you an idea of how frustrating this game is, here's a brief compilation of deaths from Dark Souls II.



One typically derives little enjoyment from breezing through a game.  (The graphics and music might be nice, but the lack of story and gameplay would make it quite forgettable.)  However, an excruciatingly difficult game like Dark Souls, or Megaman, is incredibly fulfilling in the end. (Reformed Gamer Note: while beating a video game can simulate true happiness, it does not actually offer true happiness.)

Moral: We can't change the amount of intelligence we start with in this life. But we should try as hard as we can to increase our knowledge throughout our experience so we can avoid the many pains and frustrations which inevitably haunt our respective futures.  I.e., Let go of the teenage mentality, #YOLO.

How a Single Remembrance Turned One Man's Life Around

A Book of Mormon prophet named Alma the Younger taught his son, Helaman, of how a well-timed memory completely turned his life around. As a rebellious youth, Alma went around with his friends destroying the Church of God.  One day he was basically put into a coma by an angel.  In a lucid unconscious state, Alma recalled what his father once taught him of Christ and in that moment plead with God for forgiveness, promising to turn his life around.

Alma went on to testify that he gained an everlasting hope and trust in Christ, not merely from the miracles witnessed in his own life, but because of the collective memory of the many blessings God's children have received from His hand. (Alma 36:28-29)

Three Ways to Remember:

Become an experience hoarder: Study history. Observe those around you. And reflect on your past experiences. “Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.” ― Otto von Bismarck.

1. Where might we go to discover those life lessons God specifically has in store for each of us?
1. We can study the lives of God's ancient peoples.  The holy scriptures contain a plethora of experiences from which we can learn.
1. In order to not forget the spiritual lessons of his forefathers, Nephi, one of the very first Book of Mormon prophets, returned to Jerusalem (risking his life) to retrieve a scriptural record (The Brass Plates/Books of the Old Testament) for his family to study in the wilderness. "…for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning." (2 Nephi 19:21-22)
2. Another Book of Mormon prophet beseeched his sons to remember that they must build their foundations on Christ in order to weather the storms of the Adversary. (Helaman 5:12)
3. Moroni, the final Book of Mormon prophet—in order to prepare us (his readers) to ask God if this collection of prophetic writings is true, entreats us to first prepare our hearts by remembering how merciful God has been in preserving our ancestors. (Moroni 10:3).
2. We can remember the experiences of our peers.
1. Read non-fiction and biographies of people who have diverse life experiences.  Then transfer knowledge gleaned in to your own life experience. (Goodreads Best Biographies.)
2. "Two minds are better than one." (E.g., More minds = more memories to draw upon.)
3. God has asked us to keep journals to remember our own experiences. (O Remember, Remember — President Henry B. Eyring, 2007.)  Writing and spending time reflecting on our thoughts help us to remember. These written records allow us to reflect on our experiences, deepening our understanding, organize our thoughts, and assign value and judgement to the events in our lives.  Once captured, we can review and continue to reflected upon these life lessons. The more we do, the less likely we are to forget, and the more likely it is that the lessons learned from those experiences will affect our future choices.
2. Sharpen your memory:
1. Decent List: 5 Ways to Improve Your Memory.
2. Harvard published this list of 5 Simple Tricks to Sharpen Thinking and Memory Skills.
3. They say Lumosity training works pretty well…

My Take Away

Some of you may look at how difficult life is and basically be paralyzed with fear.

Others of you might be thinking, I live on the edge. I like to "be present" and live in the moment and react to life naturally. When challenges arise, a laissez faire approach is the best. No one can expect more from me.

While it is true that you are the captain of your own vessel in this life, you missed the point of this entire post: Learning from the past can make life easier for you.  And the pursuit of that knowledge can be fun.  So dig in, remember, and enjoy the learning experience.

Think about this: If you could have a single memory imprinted on your soul—some principle or lesson ever-present in your mind—what would it be? Mine would be this.