I keep coming back to uncompleted projects, one of which is to compile a list of Major System characters in Traditional Major System format, where the first name’s “first letter” and the surname’s “first letter” are used.
I am wanting to do this using the following coding numbers to letters (Traditional Major System):
0 = S
1 = T
2 = N
3 = M
4 = R
5 = L
6 = J
7 = K
8 = F
9 = P
Note: I am only wanting to use a direct one-to-one correspondence of numbers to letters, in other words a 9 = only to a P and a 7 = only to a K etc.
To confess, I am just finding the compilation of the list #00 - #99 to much of a stretch by googling names from the “famous people by initials lists” on the internet:
I have done some searches on the “Art of Memory Forum” for any ready made People lists and only come up with spreadsheets with broken links.
Is anyone willing to share their PAO Traditional Major System list #00 - #99 with me?? Thank you in advance
I have posted my 1, 2, and 3-digit major system on the forum:
But it is not based on the initials. I think that’s more common in Dominic’s system. If you use only the initials, you won’t be capable of upgrading to a three digit system easily, but it’s ok if that isn’t your goal.
Here’s a list with initials, which may help your project:
Thank you for the reply and well done on getting to a #000 - #999 you cam pride yourself on being part of a select few that have done that. To your point, I am only interested in a far smaller #00 - #99 Traditional Major System. I already have posted my Dominic System cast of characters elsewhere on this forum but I want to try to learn a PAO system rather in Major as opposed to in Dominic.
I have been soldiering on in the first name/surname traditional major system and am about 75% complete with the exercise.
I had these 3 characters for #76, #77 and #78 but I’m not too happy with Kim Jong-um as the sound isn’t strictly “phonetic”, which the Traditional Major System should be?
My PAO mostly follows the format you outlined. . . There are a few exceptions, for example I couldn’t remember Trevor Noah, so used David Niven instead, and some people I misremembered what they did, but kept my ‘incorrect’ PAO anyway since it works for me. I couldn’t upload the excel file so put it on my Google drive, and will leave it up for a few days. You can access it here - PersonActionObject(PAO) - ToShare.xlsx - Google Sheets
I’d appreciate if you’d also share your PAO system once completed.
I will have a look at your favoured PAO #00 - #99 characters to see whether any of your characters are a stronger images for me over my chosen cast of 100 characters. In need, I will borrow some of your characters if I find them to be better options. This is after all the purpose of this forum to share ideas and improve upon mnemonic systems as best we can.
I haven’t put my characters into a PAO as I was thinking of following @TheHumanTim suggestion and devising separate ACTIONS and OBJECTS following the chosen Traditional Major System. I note that your system borrows more than one letter e.g. your David Niven as your chosen #12. This is definitely something I want to avoid at all costs, for me it will only be one letter per number (not multiple options). I am aware that as Traditional Major System is a phonetic system that you could have multiple letters “sounding the same” representing the different numbers but I want to simplify this PAO exercise and streamline it as far as possible. Whilst I don’t have any preconceived PAO as yet, a favourite one of mine is #11 Tina Turner (PERSON)/ TaTTooing (ACTION)/ TiT (OBJECT). Whilst I am not sure whether Tina Turner was indeed a fan of Tattoos, in the theatre of my mind she will definitely have a very conspicuous one (maybe a Dragon) TaTTooed onto her breast. LOL! What is in my mind stays in my mind, one need not share every ‘mini-movie’ that plays out in the theater of one’s mind for the sake of not appearing to be a pervert amongst other things. I think however, that people such as Tony Buzan and Dominic O’Brien have both documented what characteristics makeup for robust images and both mention ‘sexuality’ as a strong determinant along with other characteristics - so all is good. I try and use: colour, exaggeration, vividness, smell and all other senses, movement, ridiculousness, humour, imagination, numbering, sequencing, symbolism, linking, absurdity, chunking, anthropomorphism to name just a few things to make things ‘stick’ better.
I put up my list of 100 characters following Major System as adapted below. Please feel free to adapt, borrow and use whatever ones may work better for you:
Thank you for sharing this. Probably not surprisingly, I see a fair amount of overlap (00, 06, 12 would have been but I could never remember Trevor Noah, and others).
The ideas you’ve written about to help cement these in your mind are what I’ve seen, and they do work. As an aside, I’ve seen some who have each group of 10 from a particular area (e.g., Star Wars characters, famous singers, …). I learned about this after I created and memorized my PAO, but it does seem like it would be useful.
Well after going through your list of names I’ve decided to ‘steal’ Marty Feldman as my new #38. How could I not? I find him far more memorable than Morgan Freeman due to his popping-out eyeballs:
There is a kinfdle ebook with a funny name called “cut the numbilical cord” that is a memory book that has a filled out list of dominic/major system with both words and famous people names. i think there are also pictures or cartoons for each, too.
