We all know the embarrassment of forgetting a name. There’s nothing worse than meeting someone new and blanking on their name only moments later. Memory improvement, even for something as simple as a name, can make a huge difference.
Part of name memorization has to do with concentration, and it’s always a good habit to repeat someone’s name when meeting them for the first time. But this certainly isn’t the only option.
Some people are simply better at remembering names than others. I’m not one of those people. I forget both faces and names pretty darn quickly. If I had a double bacon cheeseburger for every name I’ve forgotten, I’d probably weigh ten tons.
It wasn’t until much later in life that I learned a foolproof system for remembering names. Before then, memory seemed like a magical process to me.
The Technique of Deliberate Memory Storage
While studying in medical school, I learned an incredible technique that allowed me to memorize anything. This technique involved movies, TV, and video games. I used familiar settings to store my memories. For more on how the technique was developed, click here.
One of my favorite places to store information has always been inside The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Director Peter Jackson brought the epic tale together in an awe-inspiring manner with unforgettable settings, from the grassy hills of Hobbiton to the fires of Mount Doom.
I’m a Huge LOTR Fan
I was a high schooler when the trilogy came out, and to say I was obsessed with it is an understatement. I saw Fellowship of the Ring eleven times in theaters. I caught Two Towers seven times and Return of the King a mere five. I even picked up archery for a few years after becoming inspired by Legolas. One of my best buds Brandon went as far as getting a tattoo of Gandalf’s sword on his arm!
I was with him at the tattoo parlor and fully supportive when he got this bad boy right after our second viewing of Return of the King.
To this day, I still watch all three movies at least once a year. I can close my eyes and picture every setting and scene of the trilogy. This makes LOTR the optimal place for me to store information.
I Used LOTR to Get Through Med School
In medical school, I used The Lord of the Rings movies to memorize antibiotics. I stored information on medications inside the Mines of Moria, on the battlefield of Helm’s Deep, and even inside Bag End!
We Can Also Use the Trilogy to Remember Names
In this article we’ll explore how our favorite Hobbits can help us with a specific memorization task: remembering new names.
1. Turn Names into Pictures. This is an essential first step to memorize any type of information. Our brains store pictures much more effectively than they do words. For more details on the importance of pictures, check out Top Study Tips for Improving Memory.
Some names are easier to turn into pictures. For example, the name Donald automatically populates in my head as a Disney duck. The name Trevon can be broken down into Tre-von, or a van full of trays.
2. Break Long Names into Multiple Pictures. Don’t fret if a name seems too long or too difficult. Simply break it down into smaller pieces. Let’s say you are lucky enough to meet someone named Vercingetorix (pronounced ver-sing-get-or-x). To remember this complicated name, break it down into digestible chunks: Ver-sing-gator-x.
Ver can become the verified checkmark:
Sing and gator are easy:
And x turns into a xylophone:
3. Link the Pictures Together. This complicated name is much easier to remember if you picture a verified symbol atop the tail of a singing gator playing the xylophone.
Linking the pictures provides more associations and makes the information far easier to recall. For more info on linking, check out How to Supercharge Your Memory in Seconds.
4. Make Note of the Person’s Memorable Features. Pick a feature about the person that really stands out. Do they have big bushy eyebrows? A long slender forehead? Or maybe spiked, bleach blonde hair like Guy Fieri? Whatever feature stands out about the person, make note of it.
5. Link the Person’s Features with the Picture Reminder of Their Name. Let’s say our new friend Vercingetorix has a thick, unruly mustache. Now, all we have to do is place a big bushy mustache on the singing gator. This will quickly remind us that the guy with long whiskers is named Ver-sing-gator-x.
6. Store the Information Inside The Lord of the Rings. Last of all, we need to anchor our pictures. Otherwise, we won’t know where to find the material when we need it. I like to store information inside memories of my favorite movies, in what I call a Memory File. For more on Memory Files, check out Four Simples Steps to Remember Anything.
If we place the mustached, singing, xylophone-playing gator in front of Bilbo’s verified hobbit hole, we’ll know exactly where to find the material when we need it.
The Simpler the Reminder, the Better
We can use simple picture reminders to avoid mixing up names as well. Many people have similar names—like Kristen and Kirsten or Sauron and Saruman. We can create picture reminders to help keep the names straight. If you ever find yourself mixing up the two villains from Lord of the Rings, Sauron and Saruman, just make a picture reminder. Picture the watchful tower with an on/off switch for Sauron.
Or you can simply remember that Saruman is played by a man, while Sauron is made by computer graphics that can be turned on and off.
Follow in Frodo’s Footsteps
Frodo and his friends can help us retain just about anything, from names to faces to mathematic equations. Save yourself the embarrassment of forgetting new names by letting The Lord of the Rings be your guide.
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