Hey you!: Photo: Calmtwood via FlickrPart 15 of the Poligo Guide to Learning a Language.

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This section is part of a series on different ways we can remember things.

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Real events are memorable. Reality is far more meaningful to you than imagined ideas or events (with some obvious exceptions). This is one of the big reasons it is easier to learn a language when living somewhere it is spoken — the language becomes a part of our own lived experience. We have a very large capacity to remember even very trivial things that happen to us, due to our innate and huge narcissism.

Lightning chains: Photo: Kraetzsche Photo via FlickrPart 14 of the Poligo Guide to Learning a Language.

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This section is part of a series on different ways we can remember things.

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Taboos

For whatever reasons about our psychology, almost anything connected with sex, scatology or other taboos seems to be memorable (in limited doses).

The Sophistication of Mr. Lampshade: Photo: DerrickT via FlickrPart 13 of the Poligo Guide to Learning a Language.

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This section is part of a series on different ways we can remember things.

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Strange or weird is memorable There are lots of ways things can be strange. Make things strange, or look for strange examples. You can also be strange yourself or try to see the strange side of things. Consider these examples:

Embarrassed father: Photo: Tobyotter via FlickrPart 12 of the Poligo Guide to Learning a Language.

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This section is part of a series on different ways we can remember things.

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Embarrassing things are memorable. When you make a mistake, sometimes it can be very embarrassing. You will never do it again, and you will always remember it. The best way to see this is through examples. Some of these are a bit strong, but that is what makes them embarrassing. Please forgive the strong language: