Uses of the Peg and Link SystemsNew patient: "Doctor, I don't know

what to do. You've got to help me; I just can't remember a thing. I've no memory
at all. I hear something one minute, and the next minute, I forget it! Tell me,
what should I do?" doctor: "Pay in advance!" Ican't blame the doctor for wanting
his fee in advance in the above anecdote; but I guess that most of us who forget
to pay bills, do so because we don't want to remem- ber them. According to
Austin O'Malley, "A habit of debt is very injurious to the memory."
Unfortunately, we are usually soon reminded of debts. If you've grasped the idea
behind the Link and the Peg systems of memory, you have learned two of the
three things that your trained memory will be based upon. The third is the
system of substitute words or substitute thoughts, which I will discuss in later
chapters. You can start applying what you've learned immediately, if you want
to. Not particularly for remembering debts, which I'm sure you'd rather forget,
but perhaps for memo- rizing the errands that you have to do for each day. If
you usually write out your shopping list, why not try to memo- rize it with the
help of the Link system. Simply link the first item to the second item, the second
to the third, and 60
Usesof the Peg and Link Systems 61 so on, down the list. You can memorize an
entirely different list the next time you go shopping without fear of con- fusion.
The beautiful thing about the Link method is that you can forget a list whenever
you wish. Actually, when you memorize the second shopping list, the first one
fades away. You can, of course, retain as many lists or links as you desire. The
mind is a most fantastic machine; it can be compared to a filing cabinet. If you
have memorized a list of items with the Link system, which you want to retain
—you can. If you want to forget the list—you can. It is merely a ques- tion of
desire. The list that you want to remember is one which you probably intend to
use, or you would have no reason to retain it. The use of the list itself will tend
to etch it into your memory. If it happens to be a list that you do not intend to
utilize right away, but which you feel you want to retain for future use—you can
do that, too. You would have to go over the list in your mind the day after you
memorized it. Then go over it again a few days later. After doing this a few
times, you have filed the list away, and it will be ready when you need it. We all
realize, of course, that it is sometimes necessary to forget! Benjamin Disraeli,
when asked about the favor shown him by royalty, said, "—I observe a simple
rule of conduct; I never deny; I never contradict; I sometimes forget." This,
however, is a question of diplomacy, not memory; and I know that you're
reading this book not to be taught how to forget, but how to remember. I will
show you soon, how to use the Link system to remember speeches, articles,
anecdotes, etc. The main difference between the Link and the Peg methods is
that the Link is used to remember anything in sequence, while the Peg is for
memorizing things in and out of order. You may feel that you have no need for