Without looking it up, wasn't Jane Seymour married to King Hank 8?
I will look at pics others took of me at some event - like birthday parties - and it doesn't really seem real to me. I mean, I know that kid there is me, and there? isn't that one of my friends from 5th grade? When I look at old pics, I either don't remember a damned thing, or the photo makes me feel some sort of very vague memory recovery. Add maybe to this: I don't like looking at pics of myself. Never have. I don't like mirrors much, either.
Also: my sense of direction is horrid, but I will remember specific times when I got lost, probably because I reflected on the event. I realize I must have taken a wrong turn. I try to get back on track/find the way and it's not correct. Then: a sort of anxiety, even panic, which I suspect adds to the memory. Finally: I find the way. I have no problem asking strangers for directions.
I know there's GPS now. I prefer not to use it, which I think must sound perverse, given my admitted poor sense of direction. I make a physical map or a list of sequential moves I must make in order to get there, and I keep it on the passenger seat. I strongly identify with "that big maple tree" or "just past the Burger King" or "that old run-down Victorian" or "the really hideous off-ramp area" much more so than names of streets. Also: if there is a mass of large buildings as in big cities, and mountains, things "look" correct based on their relationship to these visual touchstones. Once I've been to a place, I remember how to get there, because it "looks this way when you go that way." But if I haven't taken that route for a few years, I will tend to forget it just enough to (probably) get lost at least a little bit.
Other minds: we can't know them, but we can infer from what they say and relate via perceptions and personal memory retrieval. I've long suspected most people have far better social memories than I do.
Thanks for your knowledge about social memory. About myself, my language tends to be more like "I think I'm the sort of person who..." rather than "I am the sort of person who..."
So interesting Robert, as always! I think it’s cool that you keep your directions analog. You’re right about Jane Seymour. I actually left out two wives, because I got one wrong — Jane Grey was not a wife!
I wrote a whole other comment about your post, and must not have pressed send!?
It said something like: sorry for jamming up your whole comment section 🤣 but this would explain why the only autobiographical memories I have are ones there are photos of - I might remember a few additional details about an event, other than what's in the photo, but not much.
Also, it explains why I'm terrible at picturing things like, what a room will look like when it's decorated, or with the furniture moved around. And why I'm no good at writing fiction.... I knew there was a reason 😜🤣
Alys! I'm so glad you made a second attempt at posting this... these are such interesting connections! Now that you mention it, I suspect my most vivid childhood memories also relate to photos and home movies.
I'm no good at writing fiction either, and I didn't think to connect it to this. I feel as though I have no instinctual ability tell stories -- I can't even tell a joke with the right pacing. The idea that this might be connected to a lack of self narrative is fascinating. Would love for you to elaborate more on that!
A couple of reasons based on what's in your post - I guess to bring characters to life, you need to understand how they feel, what their story is, and if you can't even make sense of your own story and being, how can you make it believable about a pretend person? Then the part about describing scenes being less vivid - I am able to 'see' in my mind (my husband can't - aphantasia I think it's called - that blows my mind!) but I think it's pretty limited to references of places I know, I can't do fantasy lands and creatures unless I have a visual point of reference. Good fiction let's you into different worlds or scenes (albeit we all see them differently, and maybe some of us less vividly) so to write it, you have to be able to imagine it.... and describe it. The only fiction I've ever tried to write was so closely based on my reality, it may as well have been autobiographical!
Wow again! I am autistic and terrible at navigating spaces. I typically have to have driven somewhere 10-15 times to know the route by heart. This was true before GPS, Mapquest, etc. When I started driving in my hometown I had no idea how to get anywhere. And I’ve always had trouble visualizing places and faces when reading - which is hard because I read a lot of fantasy and sci fi 😂
Without looking it up, wasn't Jane Seymour married to King Hank 8?
I will look at pics others took of me at some event - like birthday parties - and it doesn't really seem real to me. I mean, I know that kid there is me, and there? isn't that one of my friends from 5th grade? When I look at old pics, I either don't remember a damned thing, or the photo makes me feel some sort of very vague memory recovery. Add maybe to this: I don't like looking at pics of myself. Never have. I don't like mirrors much, either.
Also: my sense of direction is horrid, but I will remember specific times when I got lost, probably because I reflected on the event. I realize I must have taken a wrong turn. I try to get back on track/find the way and it's not correct. Then: a sort of anxiety, even panic, which I suspect adds to the memory. Finally: I find the way. I have no problem asking strangers for directions.
I know there's GPS now. I prefer not to use it, which I think must sound perverse, given my admitted poor sense of direction. I make a physical map or a list of sequential moves I must make in order to get there, and I keep it on the passenger seat. I strongly identify with "that big maple tree" or "just past the Burger King" or "that old run-down Victorian" or "the really hideous off-ramp area" much more so than names of streets. Also: if there is a mass of large buildings as in big cities, and mountains, things "look" correct based on their relationship to these visual touchstones. Once I've been to a place, I remember how to get there, because it "looks this way when you go that way." But if I haven't taken that route for a few years, I will tend to forget it just enough to (probably) get lost at least a little bit.
Other minds: we can't know them, but we can infer from what they say and relate via perceptions and personal memory retrieval. I've long suspected most people have far better social memories than I do.
Thanks for your knowledge about social memory. About myself, my language tends to be more like "I think I'm the sort of person who..." rather than "I am the sort of person who..."
So interesting Robert, as always! I think it’s cool that you keep your directions analog. You’re right about Jane Seymour. I actually left out two wives, because I got one wrong — Jane Grey was not a wife!
I wrote a whole other comment about your post, and must not have pressed send!?
It said something like: sorry for jamming up your whole comment section 🤣 but this would explain why the only autobiographical memories I have are ones there are photos of - I might remember a few additional details about an event, other than what's in the photo, but not much.
Also, it explains why I'm terrible at picturing things like, what a room will look like when it's decorated, or with the furniture moved around. And why I'm no good at writing fiction.... I knew there was a reason 😜🤣
Alys! I'm so glad you made a second attempt at posting this... these are such interesting connections! Now that you mention it, I suspect my most vivid childhood memories also relate to photos and home movies.
I'm no good at writing fiction either, and I didn't think to connect it to this. I feel as though I have no instinctual ability tell stories -- I can't even tell a joke with the right pacing. The idea that this might be connected to a lack of self narrative is fascinating. Would love for you to elaborate more on that!
A couple of reasons based on what's in your post - I guess to bring characters to life, you need to understand how they feel, what their story is, and if you can't even make sense of your own story and being, how can you make it believable about a pretend person? Then the part about describing scenes being less vivid - I am able to 'see' in my mind (my husband can't - aphantasia I think it's called - that blows my mind!) but I think it's pretty limited to references of places I know, I can't do fantasy lands and creatures unless I have a visual point of reference. Good fiction let's you into different worlds or scenes (albeit we all see them differently, and maybe some of us less vividly) so to write it, you have to be able to imagine it.... and describe it. The only fiction I've ever tried to write was so closely based on my reality, it may as well have been autobiographical!
This is really interesting. Going to marinate on this!
And I believe it's Jane Seymour, not Jane Grey - she was the 9 day Queen I think?
You get bonus admiration because I didn't catch that one in my fact check -- just assumed I was remembering correctly! Haha.
Anne of Cleves - thanks Six the Musical 🤣
Ding ding! I saw promos for Six last time I was in NY but didn't see it. How was it??
Really good 😊 basically just like watching a gig!
Wow again! I am autistic and terrible at navigating spaces. I typically have to have driven somewhere 10-15 times to know the route by heart. This was true before GPS, Mapquest, etc. When I started driving in my hometown I had no idea how to get anywhere. And I’ve always had trouble visualizing places and faces when reading - which is hard because I read a lot of fantasy and sci fi 😂