Anyone else struggle to retain general knowledge?

[LoveBeingAMum555]

So this is very difficult to admit, but my memory for things like current affairs, geography, sport, films, even silly things like being able to name trees and birds (despite growing up in the country) is terrible. I have always been like this, I remember very little from my childhood.

I have a senior role at work and I could bore you to death with detailed technical knowledge about my job but I am really bad at small talk because I can read the news and literally none of it stays in my brain. I am very good at hiding it but at 54 years old I wonder if it's possible to change.

Anyone else out there like me? Is there any hope?

I'm like this... Busy working mum of 3... So many other things to think about and remember - all the other stuff going on in the world gets pushed out
Maybe one day things will be different when my kids remember their own things

Hmm my boys are both grown up and have left home and that hasn't helped me at all! But I do take on most of the home admin (my choice) and my job is pretty full on, so I do have a lot to think about.

My brain can't retain anything. Even basics like people's names I've always struggled.
I don't understand at all how people can listen to a song and then no every word. I just can't do it.

Me! I can, for example, go to a museum and be vey interested in what I see etc but ask me any facts, dates and so on that I have learnt that day and my mind is blank.

Yes! Exactly this. DH would be able to give you a detailed run down of it all 2 weeks later and I would think, but how do you remember? I am interested in things and enjoy new experiences, I just don't retain what I have learnt.

This is me exactly. It can be quite embarrassing. I read books, study some subjects, watch TV programmes on them and listen to podcasts, but I struggle to remember anything. It makes me look dim!
I also can't remember much of my childhood. People talk about our teachers from school and I draw a complete blank. I can also forget people and members of the extended family. In direct contrast to my sibling who can remember everything!

I am the same. I hate it and would love to be able to retain stuff. I read a lot, listen to interesting things etc but don't remember enough to pass on the info! I have a senior role at work too and remember info related to that much better which is a good job but who wants to hear that in a social environment! I could be so interesting if I remembered stuff!

There are some books like history of the world in 50 objects, or what I should have learned at school type thing which have little snippets you could read for interest and see if some bits stick?

Me. I have a terrible memory, I'm not stupid but facts just go in and come straight out again. I think it's why I've always felt lesser / sillier than my peers because they seemed to just remember things. I'm particularly bad with films, DP will tell me about a film we have watched together and I won't have a clue. Bad with names (unless someone has very distinct hair or something) bad with faces. Much better at logic, problem solving, communicating.

For me it depends how the information is presented. I read obsessively and soak up no end of information that way. I do all
our household admin because I find it fairly straightforward as a result. But video content is in one ear out the other. I have to REALLY force myself to concentrate enough to follow a film, play or TV drama and as for video content on social media, forget it. My DH seems to totally lack the ability to pick it up in any format and he hates it as it makes him feel stupid when he is anything but (highly technical job, post grad qualifications etc). He really struggles with admin because of it too.

I can remember film plots to the nth degree but pop culture, general knowledge, anything interesting or important nope! In one ear and out the other. So annoying!!

Feels like its something to do with different learning styles? I'm patchy - i cant remember name of characters in books or films, or indeed the name of a book or film. But I can usually recall quite a lot about the plot. Im pretty good with facts, general knowlege and I have quite a visual memory. My ability to retain information has definitely got poorer as a result of hormonal changes (peri).

That's interesting because I am also very good at logic and problem solving (a big part of my work) and my communication skills are also very good. I am glad that there are others like me out there.

I will try that, thank you.