I have never really had a good memory - short term or long term. My working memory is pretty good, but that's about it. I have always envied people who have the ability to remember a relevant quote/figure or recalled the reference to a book/film/tv show etc in conversation. I read frequently but struggle to remember the characters names and plot points. I watch films/TV shows and struggle to describe the plot a day or two later.<p>Is there anything I can do to improve this type of memory or is this just a reality of my mind? How do people of HN remember things? Any particular tools, techniques or resources used?
Proven methods are 'spaced repetition' and 'active recall'. Programms like Anki can help you enforce these methods without having to learn an awful lot about it.<p>If you were talking about remembering things "on the fly", I can't tell you a lot about it. Generally speaking, your brain can be trained to a certain extend. So telling yourself you're just like that might hinder you more than your actual preconditions.
>and struggle to describe the plot a day or two later.<p>Chances are you were not watching, just attending and staring. Do you have your phone at hand in these events, by any chance?