Would it be easier in people’s opinion to use a Dominic System PAO : Albert Estein - A E = 15. Or… thematically order the PAO and then apply a Dominic to the second digit - 12 = Bulma
Anime (for 10-19 batch) + 02 for B for Bulma.
Assuming I go with the second type of system. Would people group the first ten, as say, different characters in the same Anime Bluma, Goku, Gohan etc…, or a Character per Anime? Bulma, Saitama, ChainsawMan etc… I worry that though the former might make it easy to memorize the PAO, it might not create memorable images - ei Krilin attacking Vegeta, doesn’t seem that crazy because they exist in the same universe. I also don’t think the former would allow me to apply a dominic system to the second digit as I might not have the characters required, in which case I would forgoe it and the second digit might be implied by a form of thematic ranking.
I believe it’s best to thematically order your cast of 00-99 characters as you are suggesting in groups: 00-09, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80 - 89 and 90-99, if at all possible. The advantage you have if you do that is that you don’t just have a haphazard cast of characters but a cast that is structured in 10 sets of 10 categories. It will take more effort on your part to arrange your characters thematically but I think you’ll reap the benefits of having at least two cues to each of the characters as opposed to just a Dominic encoding system.
Interesting question as I’ve recently decided to use a thematically based system rather than a Dominic System to encode my 52 Playing Cards.
Not to beat a dead dog but,
I actually think thematic encoding makes it easier to come up with people. My worry is that it will make for potentially repetitive images. I think the images have to remain somewhat distinct. I saw someone had the cast of fringe as their 0-9, and I think that might not be the best way to set up the system. I might forgo thematics altogether and use a Dominic system, but then I also don’t like the fact that I need 2 words for it to work. or maybe a blend works best?
I think it’s going to take a series of trail and error type of experimentations from your side to see what works best for you. Many people on this forum use the tried and tested Major System to arrive at their characters. Some opt for a First name only approach, others opt to use a combination of First names and Surnames, others still use an “Encoded system” for their PAO where the characters are individuals solely paired intuitively to the numbers themselves. Others still use a Dominic System. There is also a “Letter-Getter” system too. Still others have developed systems based on their preferential choices of how they personally want to encode numbers. Still others have learnt a categorical type system ‘off by heart’ for their chosen 00-99 characters, your choices are virtually limitless. All these variations of systems can be found by “searching” in the “Q” or “Magnifying Glass” at the top right hand side of your screen. I will venture a few alternatives using the number “42” below:
#42 Unencoded (Intuitive) System = Hitch-Hiker/ clue #42 is the answer to everything (Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)
#42 Major System (First Name Only) = RoNNie, wReN, RiNgo (only use the first two letters)
#42 Major System (First Name and Surname) = RN = Richard Nixon
#42 Dominic System (First Name Only) = DB = DeBBie
#42 Dominic System (First Name and Surname) = David Bowie
#42 Letter-Getter System (First Name and Surname) = DP = Dolly Parton
If you don’t already know there is a link that assists you in finding suitable People by initials (see link below). Good Luck in deciding upon which system you finally decide to use.
This may be true, but easier isn’t always better or more reliable.
I’ll toss my vote in with @zweb_chess for the Major System. As for intuition, there are simple mnemonics to assist with the initial learning of the phonetics that are very intuitive (2 legs on an “n”, 3 legs on an “m”, etc…) Once that initial lift work is done, it becomes incredibly easy to see a number and “read” it like a word because the numbers will start to make those sounds in your mind as you see them.
The huge upside to basing a PAO on major for me was the ability to code every element, the people, the actions, and the objects, via those phonetics. So I have “TeD, TooT, ToaD” as my PAO for 11
Dom gives a simple way to encode people, but IMO it’s much harder to map the actions and objects that way if you’re going for a true independent PAO that follows the system rules for every element.
I think it’s much more effective to create independent images for each PAO rather than going the traditional way of giving the person an action and object that makes sense for them. You really shouldn’t learn the PAO system by visualizing 100 PAO scenes. You should learn the 300 associations independently.
You want to be able to see a number in either the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd slot of a 6-digit block and associate the element immediately without having to first figure out the person that it relates to and then decode it from initials to numbers.
I understand what you are saying and would say that for the Major System your idea would work a whole lot better than it would for say the Dominic System: e.g. Major System: Tina Turner (Person); TaTtooing (Action); TiT (Object).
I started out devising a cast of 00-99 using the Dominic System and can definitely say that my: Archie Andrews (Person); Drinking (Action); Milkshake (Object) at Pop Tate’s (Location), works just fine as my PAOL for #11. In fact, once you know your numbers well enough, everything is on ‘automatic-pilot’ as far as transcribing your 'mini-movies or GIF scenarios into there 6 digit numbers as a PAO. For me (using Dominic System) the number: (46-18-11) is quickly interpreted into Donna Summer (Person); Sieg-Heiling (Action) a Milkshake (Object).
I think the unconscientious-competence model dispenses with the need to go from Numbers to Letters to Images or conversely from: Images to Letters to Numbers. There should in effect be no middle step in one’s conversion once you’ve mastered your system and you can get straight to the Images from their Numbers or conversely straight from the Numbers to their Images. I think it is ‘unnecessary’ and counter-productive (for speed and expediency sake) to have the ‘crutch’ as the middle step that you are referring too. I know that there are many people that also use the method that you are proposing on this forum (and that it works just as well as any other system), but I find my image for #99 (Dominic) of Nick Nolte (Person); Hammering (Action) an Eye-socket (Object), as grotesque as it may sound, (taken from the scene in “Rich Man - Poor Man” where Nick Nolte has beaten the crap out of the villain in the series Falconetti and is hovering over him shaking in anger with hammer in hand. In my mind’s eye, I just finish the deed for Nick Nolte smashing Falconetti’s eye socket with the hammer (which didn’t happen in the movie).
Major system of #99 of Popeye, Pooping, Pipes I guess works too? LOL!
One last plus on the Major System side… If you ever want to jump to a 3-digit system, the major phonetics lend themselves better to that structure. First and Last name structure works for 2-digits ok, but doesn’t really translate to 3 that I can see.
Encoded or unencoded might not make too much of a difference in the end as there is no middle step (decoding) once the PAO is well learned.
To help memorize this initially though,
A major system system has the advantage of being able to encode every aspect of the PAO, not just the person unlike the Dominic.
Using the major, I can do away with thematic groups and replace these with a personal, key by key, encoding system. Though to be fair, I’m not sure about this, we will see.
The only thing I’m still wondering about is the point brought up by @TheHumanTim. I can see how learning 300 independent associations might work better than learning 100 scenes once learned, as I forgo an extra step: linking the action or object to the person, but I do see that this will be more off the bat. More importantly I wonder how strong an association I can make with actions or objects to the numbers in the first place. Finally, I don’t seem to see too many people using this method on the forums.
So, this is the key point in going with major. If you make your actions and objects follow the system, you can read the number sounds in the mindset of reading for people, actions, or objects in context. Kind of like if someone says the word sound “mail” to you. You create a mental image based on the context. Is it “mail” (object) like a bunch of letters in envelopes? Is it “mail” (action) like I packed up a box and shipped it to my friend? Is it a “male” (person)? You’ll be surprised at how easily you can connect those different contexts to the same word sounds. If you have a system where you don’t follow phonetics rules, aka Dominic plus traditional PAO, that’s ok, but you sacrifice readability and the fallback of being able to decode the number sounds straight to the image/word.
Fred’s point here is key:
With enough practice, whatever system you choose can get to a point of automatic one-step association. The important thing is that you practice INDEPENDENT associations. If you choose Albert Einstein, writing on blackboard, and chalk for one numbers PAO elements, you should be wary of visualizing that complete image. If you always see those elements connected to each other, it can be difficult to disconnect them in the context of an actual memorizing situation.
LEARNING the system and building the instant associations is different than practicing memorizing by USING the system, if that makes sense?
I have to concede reluctantly that the Major System is superior overall to the Dominic System for the reasons that @TheHumanTim has mentioned. That being said, nothing limits you from learning both Systems. I’m not a Memory Competitor but if I were, I think I would strategize around the events in the Competitions with an ‘arsenal’ of different systems ‘fit for purpose’ for each event of the competitions.
Nowhere in Harry Lorayne’s books (and I think its fair to say he popularized,
if not commercialized) the Major System, do I see him mention the PAO System. Indeed, Dominic O’Brien, from his books I’ve read, only explained a Person/Action ¶ System, so I would be interested to discover how the PAO, PAOL, PAOQ, PAAO Systems have evolved over time. I have recently posted a ‘unique system for encoding playing cards’ which I consider to be a novel system for encoding playing cards, elsewhere on this forum, as well as a SCOC System (if anyone is interested in going down that particular rabbit-hole) too.
What I like about this forum is that we collectively can brainstorm and share ideas with one another, embellishing upon each others ideas, tweaking our systems, to serve our own particular needs and to do the things we want them to do. Never lose sight of the fact that any system is your slave and you are NOT the slave to any system. So in short, experiment with other peoples ideas, point out faults in other peoples systems in a diplomatic manner, if you differ from them, in a friendly and constructive manner. That’s what this forum is about. We can learn a great deal from one another in a collective pursuit of bettering ourselves!
Each image is “Double Themed” (card suit and card value). The effort should pay off double for memory. I think you will know these forever. Will this evolve into a P P P P system?
Thanks for your vote of confidence. I have changes a couple of things around (as can be expected),nothing is set in concrete and signed in blood. I have rather opted for Janet Jackson (as a pole-dancer) in the “Jack 'O Clubs -Strip Joint”. Whilst I know that Janet Jackson is a women, my Jacks do look a little effeminate. I choose Jacket Jackson as a Club Royal because I have her brother Michael Jackson as "The King of Clubs (Pop) and Donna Summer as the “Queen of Disco-Clubs”. I finished of my Jacks with the obvious “Jack-the-Ripper” to signify death or the “Spades” suit.
I have also moved Adolf Hitler to the King of Spades and have opted for the Grim Reaper (signifying Covid) as my Ace of Spades or “Death Card”.
