Do you remember something if you think youll need it later or if you know youll never need it again?

Yes, I categorize information by its future use. I've been using my credit card pin for several years, so I know I need that on hand at any given moment. However, I only need to remember how to do a calculus problem before and during a final, so I keep that in mind as I cram.

When I was younger, I remembered almost everything. As I aged it happened less and less.

As for remembering things I will seldom, if ever, use, I tucked it away somewhere in my brain and if the situation came up I would remember that there was something I needed to know and that I needed to look it up.

Here's an example - I worked for Social Security as a claims rep for 32 years. In basic training we had a session on various types of marriages; ceremonial, common-law, Chinese marriages, defacto marriages and so on - to know how to prove them and process them. Obviously Chinese and defacto marriages aren't the norm so if one came up I knew that it was something I needed to research. As for common-law marriages I worked in Ohio for two years and, at the time, Ohio recognized common-law marriages. After developing about two of them I no longer needed to look up the procedures because I remembered how to do it.

She learned to be passive but such is a loss