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When people talk about productivity or memory hacks, it often turns into complicated advice. But for Elon Musk, the idea is much simpler, almost basic. The Tesla CEO once explained that remembering things is not about force or repetition, but about meaning. His approach, shared during a 2023 podcast, gives a direct look into how he processes information.
Musk added, "Your brain is basically constantly trying to forget everything as much as possible, because it's hard to store memories. Like the most of the stuff that we see in here is like not worth remembering. So in order for your brain to remember something you have to establish relevance. You have to say why."
The idea, as he described it, is that the brain is not built to store everything. It filters most of what we see and hear. Only information that feels important or useful tends to stay. So instead of trying to memorise blindly, the focus shifts to understanding why something matters in the first place.
This also explains why many people forget things they just read or heard. Without context or purpose, the brain does not treat the information as worth keeping. Musk’s method is basically to force that connection every time — ask why it matters, and memory follows.
He has also been involved in projects like Neuralink and The Boring Company. Over the years, his businesses have ranged from electric cars and rockets to social media and artificial intelligence.
According to published profiles, Musk was born in South Africa in 1971 and later moved to North America, studying business and physics at the University of Pennsylvania. Before building companies like Tesla and SpaceX, he co-founded Zip2 and played a key role in the early growth of PayPal.
There’s no complex system here, no long routine. Musk’s point comes down to something small but useful. If something feels important, the brain keeps it. If it doesn’t, it lets it go.
So instead of trying harder to remember, his suggestion is to pause and ask a basic question — why does this matter to me? That one step, according to him, can change what actually stays in your mind.
Why relevance matters more than repetition
Speaking on the Full Send Podcast in 2022, Musk broke down how memory actually works in everyday life. He said, "Okay well here's something that can be helpful to people. In order to remember something you must assign meaning to it. Just say like why is it relevant? If you can say why something is relevant, you probably will remember.Musk added, "Your brain is basically constantly trying to forget everything as much as possible, because it's hard to store memories. Like the most of the stuff that we see in here is like not worth remembering. So in order for your brain to remember something you have to establish relevance. You have to say why."
The idea, as he described it, is that the brain is not built to store everything. It filters most of what we see and hear. Only information that feels important or useful tends to stay. So instead of trying to memorise blindly, the focus shifts to understanding why something matters in the first place.
A simple idea backed by how the brain works
What Musk said may sound obvious, but it lines up with how people generally learn. When something connects to a real situation or solves a problem, it sticks better. If it feels random or disconnected, it fades quickly.This also explains why many people forget things they just read or heard. Without context or purpose, the brain does not treat the information as worth keeping. Musk’s method is basically to force that connection every time — ask why it matters, and memory follows.
The man behind the method
Musk’s views on thinking and learning often draw attention because of the scale of his work. As noted by Forbes, he has co-founded multiple companies across industries, including Tesla, SpaceX and AI venture xAI.He has also been involved in projects like Neuralink and The Boring Company. Over the years, his businesses have ranged from electric cars and rockets to social media and artificial intelligence.
According to published profiles, Musk was born in South Africa in 1971 and later moved to North America, studying business and physics at the University of Pennsylvania. Before building companies like Tesla and SpaceX, he co-founded Zip2 and played a key role in the early growth of PayPal.
There’s no complex system here, no long routine. Musk’s point comes down to something small but useful. If something feels important, the brain keeps it. If it doesn’t, it lets it go.
So instead of trying harder to remember, his suggestion is to pause and ask a basic question — why does this matter to me? That one step, according to him, can change what actually stays in your mind.
