Memory and Intelligence Relationship

1min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

The relationship between memory and intelligence is often misunderstood. People tend to associate memory failures with insecurities about intelligence. However, intelligence is not solely about memorizing everything but rather about knowing what information is worth memorizing. It is considered more intelligent to focus on and understand the information that is most important and relevant to one's interests and goals. Each individual has their own strengths and areas of genius, and intelligence should not be solely judged based on standardized tests but rather on a person's unique interests and knowledge.

"The only things that are important in life," declared the French filmmaker Jean Renoir, "are the things you remember." But what do we remember and why? That's the subject of a new book, "Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to What Matters," by pioneering neuroscientist Charan Ranganath. He joins us today to explain why you still know the lyrics to the song you loved in eighth grade but can't remember the name of your kid's eighth-grade teacher, how memory shapes your identity, and what you can do right now to improve your recall.

THE NEXT BIG IDEA CLUB

We all know that reading is the best investment we can make in ourselves, but figuring out what to read — well, that’s another matter. Which is why we started the Next Big Idea Club. We get the best new books (as chosen by our friends Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink) into the hands of curious people. Like you! Join us today at nextbigideaclub.com