The Art of Exaggeration: How Absurd Images Make Memory Stick
Why Normal Doesn’t Work
Most people try to remember things the way they are:
A small key on a table.
A regular mask on a door.
A normal loaf of bread on a shelf.
And then they wonder why they forget.
The truth is simple: normal doesn’t stick.
Your brain filters out ordinary details every second of the day. But it pays attention to what’s unusual, absurd, and exaggerated. That’s why you remember a dream where elephants flew past your window, but you forget what you ate for lunch last week.
If you want powerful memory, you need to make things weird. You need to exaggerate.
The Science of Exaggeration and Memory
1. Distinctiveness Bias
Psychologists call it the von Restorff effect: unusual items are remembered far better than normal ones. If nine words are black and one is neon green, you’ll remember the green one.
Exaggeration creates distinctiveness. It makes information stand out from the crowd.
2. Survival Instincts
Our ancestors survived by noticing anomalies: a rustle in the bushes, an animal moving strangely, a storm cloud forming suddenly. The unusual was often dangerous. Our brains are still wired to prioritize what’s odd.
3. Exaggeration Creates Emotion
When something is absurd, a giant tomato chasing you down the street, it automatically creates surprise, laughter, or fear. Exaggeration doesn’t just grab attention, it triggers emotion, which further cements memory.
4. Competition Lessons
When I competed in memory championships, subtle images didn’t cut it. A plain card? Gone. A boring number? Forgotten. But when I exaggerated them, made them ridiculous, oversized, or cartoonish, recall became instant. Exaggeration wasn’t optional. It was the difference between second place and first.
How to Exaggerate in a Memory Palace
Step 1: Make It Huge
Normal size? Forgettable. Enormous size? Unmissable.
Key bigger than your couch.
Tomato the size of your garage.
A book that weighs as much as a car.
Step 2: Make It Tiny
Shrink it until it feels absurd.
A car so small it fits in your hand.
A dog the size of a pea barking loudly.
Step 3: Change Weight
A feather crushing you like concrete.
A piano so light you can throw it across the room.
Step 4: Change Speed
A snail racing faster than a jet.
A rocket moving slower than a turtle.
Step 5: Make It Ridiculous
A pen that sings opera.
A chicken wearing sunglasses.
A clock juggling bananas.
👉 Don’t ask “Is this realistic?” Ask “Is this unforgettable?”
Examples of Exaggeration in Action
Example 1: Shopping List
Item: Tomato.
Normal: tomato on the table.
Exaggerated: 10-foot tomato rolling after you like Indiana Jones.
Example 2: Vocabulary
Word: “fragile.”
Normal: cracked glass.
Exaggerated: your entire house made of glass, shattering when you sneeze.
Example 3: Names
Name: Mr. Baker.
Normal: baker with bread.
Exaggerated: baker juggling exploding loaves, flour clouding the room.
Example 4: Presentations
Point: “Growth.”
Normal: a plant sprouting.
Exaggerated: a tree bursting through the floor, lifting the entire building sky-high.
Why Absurdity Beats Logic
Most people want their memory images to “make sense.” But logic doesn’t stick. Emotion and absurdity do.
That’s why comedians exaggerate. That’s why cartoonists distort. That’s why advertisers go over the top. They know absurdity is sticky.
When I coach clients, I often say: “Don’t aim for realism. Aim for ridiculous. Your brain will remember the absurd and link it back to the meaning.”
Case Studies: Exaggeration in Real Life
Student Example
A medical student struggled to recall “myocardial infarction” (heart attack).
Normal: a picture of a heart. Forgettable.
Exaggerated: a giant heart exploding confetti across the lecture hall.
Result: effortless recall during exams.
Professional Example
A manager wanted to remember 30 names at a conference.
Normal: repeating the names.
Exaggerated: turning each into cartoonish characters. “Mr. Stone” became a boulder rolling through the crowd. “Ms. Bell” became a giant church bell ringing in her ears.
Result: she remembered every name and impressed her colleagues.
Athlete Example
A basketball player needed to memorize 15 tactical plays.
Normal: arrows on a clipboard.
Exaggerated: arrows turning into giant snakes slithering across the court.
Result: plays stuck under pressure, improving performance.
Historical Proof: Humans Have Always Exaggerated to Remember
Ancient storytellers: Myths were exaggerated, gods throwing lightning bolts, giants, monsters, because drama made stories unforgettable.
Teachers: Great teachers exaggerate with humour and passion. Students don’t just learn facts, they remember feelings.
Advertisers: Every commercial exaggerates benefits or fears. It’s not literal, but it’s memorable.
Leaders: Great speeches exaggerate imagery, “We shall fight on the beaches”, creating lasting impact.
👉 Exaggeration isn’t childish. It’s human.
Advanced Exaggeration Techniques
1. Combine Opposites
• Ice so hot it burns.
• Fire so cold it freezes.
2. Animate the Inanimate
• A chair walking into the room.
• A pen singing loudly.
3. Flip Expectations
• Fish flying in the sky.
• Airplanes swimming in the ocean.
4. Add Multiplication
• Not one tomato, but thousands falling from the sky.
• Not one mask, but a tidal wave of masks suffocating the house.
5. Use Cartoon Logic
• A tiny mouse lifting an elephant.
• A fridge running away from you.
Training Drills for Exaggeration
Drill 1: Big and Small Test
• Take 10 words.
• Make half gigantic, half tiny.
• Review after 1 hour.
Drill 2: Cartoon Scene Builder
• Pick 3 random words (e.g., “chicken,” “clock,” “rocket”).
• Force them into one absurd story.
Drill 3: Speed and Weight
• Make objects faster, slower, heavier, lighter.
• Test recall after 2 hours.
Drill 4: Exaggeration Marathon
• Day 1: Everything huge.
• Day 2: Everything tiny.
• Day 3: Cartoon absurdity.
• Day 4: Animate inanimate objects.
• Day 5: Use opposites.
• Day 6: Multiply objects.
• Day 7: Mix everything.
👉 After one week, you’ll notice exaggeration becomes automatic.
Common Mistakes (and Fixes)
1. Images too normal → Push exaggeration further.
2. Worrying about realism → Drop logic. Absurdity is the point.
3. Watching, not participating → Put yourself into the ridiculous scene.
4. Too much detail → One strong exaggeration beats ten weak ones.
5. No review → Still use spaced repetition.
FAQ: Exaggeration and Memory
Q: Can exaggeration confuse me?
A: Not if you tie it to meaning. The silly image is only a trigger.
Q: What if I’m not imaginative?
A: Start small. Even basic cartoonish exaggerations work.
Q: Can exaggeration work for abstract ideas?
A: Yes. “Freedom” could be giant wings carrying you into the sky.
Q: Isn’t this childish?
A: Exactly. Children remember easily because they exaggerate naturally. Adults forget because they keep things boring.
Q: Will people think I’m silly?
A: No one sees your images. They’re private. The results, sharp memory, speak for themselves.
Q: Can I combine exaggeration with emotion?
A: Yes. In fact, that’s the ultimate formula: exaggeration + emotion = instant recall.
Q: Does exaggeration work in high-pressure settings?
A: Yes. The more absurd, the easier it is to recall quickly under stress.
Q: Can I exaggerate too much?
A: Rarely. If you think, “That’s too silly,” you’re probably on the right track.
Why Exaggeration Makes You a Better Learner
Exaggeration isn’t just a memory trick. It’s a way of thinking that:
Boosts creativity (seeing unusual connections).
Makes learning fun (no more boring repetition).
Improves resilience (you adapt, twist, and reshape information).
Most importantly, it makes memory effortless.
Your Next Step
Next time you need to remember something, don’t keep it normal. Exaggerate it.
• Make it absurdly big or tiny.
• Change its weight or speed.
• Give it cartoon logic.
The sillier, the better. That’s how your brain locks it in.
👉 Want to master exaggeration for powerful recall? Explore memory coaching with me by clicking here.
