High Cognitive Minds

A search term that brought someone to Gifted Mind recently was memory. Can you be considered gifted even if you have a poor memory?  It's not surprising that this is a worry for individuals who aren't sure they're gifted. In lists of gifted characteristics, you'll always find excellent memory, and the ability to learn quickly. Such lists are generalizations, and every item isn't applicable to everyone, but people tend to take each one as a requirement. If you're a low-energy person, you can't be gifted because one of the characteristics is high energy. If you don't have much of a sense of humor, you can't be gifted...

What is a poor memory? Charles Darwin said of himself that his memory was very poor. He generally had to reread something and then give himself time to mull it over before he grasped it well enough to form a judgement. His memory was slow, and knowing that has always given me comfort because I have the same kind of memory.

There are also types of information that I have trouble memorizing: numbers, codes, and random bits and pieces that can’t be fitted into a context. My problem with numbers is a real learning disability, but my inability to memorize random, disconnected facts is part of my cognitive bias toward contextual processing. Darwin had similar problems with certain kinds of memorization and his notebooks reveal a contextual thinker at work.

The popular belief that quick memorizers are particularly smart is one of the many myths about giftedness. Someone who’s a quick study may be... a quick study and nothing more. An excellent memory gives you an advantage in school and in adult life, but it doesn’t guarantee curiosity, a real interest in learning, or intellectual creativity.