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Ben Cardall has spent years demonstrating what Sherlock Holmes-style observation, deduction and memory look like under real-world conditions.
But there’s a question behind all these skills that doesn’t get discussed enough:
How do you decide what’s actually worth memorizing?
After all, improving your memory isn’t about stuffing your mind with everything you see, hear or read.
You first need to notice what matters.
Then you need to decide whether the information deserves a place in memory at all.
That’s exactly what Ben and I explore in this episode.
He’s the author of The Monographs, a practical book about observation, deduction and the memory techniques that help make Sherlock Holmes-style thinking possible.
During our conversation, Ben explains how he uses the Memory Palace technique, approaches observation and combines memory with critical thinking.
Most importantly, we discuss how to weigh information before committing it to memory.
That’s an issue I’ve become increasingly interested in myself. As I’ve discussed in relation to the forgetting curve, memory mastery isn’t just about retaining more. It’s also about developing better criteria for deciding what deserves to be retained.
And yes…
Ben and I even get into the knotty territory of free will.
For the first time, someone finally gave me a new way to think about this essential philosophical puzzle!
Of course, I wouldn’t expect anything less from Ben.
Click play on the video below or use the audio player above to enjoy our conversation.
What Ben Cardall Says Is Worth Memorizing
One of the most useful ideas in this conversation is deceptively simple:
You don’t start with memorization.
You start with observation.
Unless you’ve paid attention to something accurately, there’s little point trying to remember it. Even worse, poor observation can lead you to memorize information that is incomplete, misleading or simply irrelevant.
That’s why I’ve come to see observation skills as an important part of memory improvement.
Ben is particularly interesting on this point because he doesn’t approach observation as an abstract classroom exercise. He applies it to deduction, investigations and situations in which small details can matter.
Observation Comes Before Memorization
This principle also explains why memory and critical thinking belong together.
You can have fantastic recall and still remember the wrong things.
Likewise, you can observe hundreds of details and fail to distinguish meaningful information from noise.
The challenge is to notice accurately, think carefully about what you’ve noticed and only then decide what deserves further attention.
In other words, the quality of what enters memory matters just as much as your ability to retain it.
That’s one of the reasons this conversation with Ben remains so useful.
Who Is Ben Cardall?
In addition to writing The Monographs, Ben runs the The Deductionist YouTube channel.
There, he explores body language, deduction, people reading, mentalism and related observation skills.
His interests range from forensics and psychology to hypnosis. More importantly for readers of this site, Ben has spent years developing the kinds of memory skills associated with Sherlock Holmes and putting them into practice.
You can also visit Ben Cardall’s website for more information about his work and training.
When we recorded this conversation in 2024, Ben was preparing Version 2 of The Monographs. Its Kickstarter campaign went on to raise more than three times its original funding goal.
My comments on this page are based on the first version of The Monographs, which is the edition I personally read before interviewing Ben.
If you’re interested in comparing Ben’s approach with other authors who teach spatial memory systems, I’ve also put together my frequently updated guide to the best Memory Palace books.
The Monographs: My Quick Review
When preparing this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, I thought I would call The Monographs an “underground classic.”
Then I started researching what other readers had to say.
There were simply too many positive reviews to keep calling it underground.
So we’ll have to settle for it being a classic of memory, observation, critical thinking and deduction.
What I particularly appreciate is the way Ben weaves these skills together.
Sure, you can focus purely on individual memory techniques.
But that’s not really the point.
Why Observation Matters for Memory
The real power comes from combining memory with better observation and thinking strategies.
Doing so changes the quality of the information you have available to remember in the first place.
Ben gives you exercises designed to help you see, hear, feel and think more carefully about what’s happening around you.
That emphasis matters because information selection is a memory skill too.
I make a similar point when teaching people how to remember what they read.
No serious reader needs to memorize every sentence in a book.
Instead, you identify the details and ideas that matter most. Then you apply memory techniques when reliable recall will actually benefit you.
Ben brings the same basic principle into the wider environment.
Whether you’re reading a book or examining something in the world around you, there’s little point memorizing information before you’ve prequalified its value.
Memory, Deduction And Sherlock Holmes
This is also where the Sherlock Holmes comparison becomes more useful than merely entertaining.
Holmes isn’t interesting because he remembers everything.
He’s interesting because he notices details, connects them and reasons from them.
Of course, the fictional Holmes isn’t a training manual.
Ben’s work is valuable because he asks what parts of that process can actually be practiced in the real world.
If you want to think more like Sherlock Holmes, that’s the level that matters.
Memory supports observation.
Observation supplies material for deduction.
Critical thinking helps you decide what the evidence means.
And before any of that information deserves long-term storage, you still have to decide whether it’s important enough to remember.
Should You Read The Monographs?
If you’re interested in memory purely as a collection of mnemonic tricks, The Monographs will probably give you more than you bargained for.
That’s a good thing.
Personally, I’m most interested in Ben’s fusion of memory, observation and thinking.
After years of practicing and teaching memory techniques myself, I’ve become increasingly convinced that remembering more isn’t enough.
You want to remember better.
That means paying attention to what enters your mind, questioning its value and using mnemonic techniques strategically rather than indiscriminately.
Ben’s work gives you another way to think about accomplishing that goal.
So enjoy our conversation.
Then, whether you explore The Monographs or simply start paying closer attention to what you choose to remember, ask yourself one question:
Is this information worth a place in my memory?
Answer that well and every memory technique you use afterward becomes more valuable.
Anthony Metivier is the founder of the Magnetic Memory Method, a systematic, 21st century approach to memorizing foreign language vocabulary, names, music, poetry and more in ways that are easy, elegant, effective and fun.
Dr. Metivier holds a Ph.D. in Humanities from York University and has been featured in Forbes, Viva Magazine, Fluent in 3 Months, Daily Stoic, Learning How to Learn and he has delivered one of the most popular TEDx Talks on memory improvement.
His most popular books include, The Victorious Mind and… 
