More About Thurlow Weed’s Amazing Mnemonics

My memory was a sieve. I could remember nothing. Dates, names, appointments, faces – everything escaped me. I said to my wife, “Catherine, I shall never make a successful politician, for I cannot remember, and that is a prime necessity of politicians.”

My wife told me I must train my memory. So, when I came home that night, I sat down and spent fifteen minutes trying silently to recall with accuracy the principal events of the day. I could remember but little at first; now I remember that I could not then recall what I had for breakfast. After a few days’ practice I found I could recall more. Events came back to me more minutely, more accurately, and more vividly than at first. After a fortnight or so of this, Catherine said, “Why don’t you relate to me the events of the day, instead of recalling them to yourself? It would be interesting and my interest in it would be a stimulus to you.”

Having great respect for my wife’s opinion, I began a habit of oral confession, as it were, which was continued for almost fifty years. Every night, the last thing before retiring, I told her everything I could remember that had happened to me, or about me, during the day. I generally recalled the dishes I had had for breakfast, dinner, and tea; the people I had seen, and what they had said; the editorials I had written for my paper, giving her a brief abstract of them. I mentioned all the letters I had sent and received, and the very language used, as nearly as possible; when I had walked or ridden – I told her everything that had come within my observation.

I found I could say my lessons better and better every year, and instead of the practice growing irksome, it became a please to go over again the events of the day. I am indebted to this discipline for a memory of somewhat unusual tenacity, and I recommend the practice to all who wish to store up facts, or expect to have much to do with influencing men.

- From How to Study and Teaching How to Study By Frank Morton McMurry (reprint of 1909 book-Houghton Mifflin)

I’ve been doing this for a couple of months and it’s true that it gets easier as time goes on. I was trying to find out how long Mr. Weed did it before the effects kicked in and it seems the answer is 50 years.

The other interesting part is what he recalled (and also how awesome his wife must have been, letting a man talk that much must have been great):

• the dishes he had had for breakfast, dinner, and tea


• the people he had seen


• what those people had said


• the editorials he had written for my paper, giving her a brief abstract of them


• all the letters he had sent and received, and the very language used, as nearly as possible


• everything that he had observed when he was out and about

I was primarily repeating the conversations of the day and interesting thoughts, but this is a good list of things to start with.

I also think that the practice of telling these things to someone would improve your story telling skills. I guess he tried to make the day’s events more lively and interesting for his wife and over the years he probably did that more and more. What an amazing practice.