why can’t you remember a whole phone number alone but when you ask someone else to remember a few numbers you automatically remember?

Question

why can’t you remember a whole phone number alone but when you ask someone else to remember a few numbers you automatically remember?

In: Other

Answer 1

Memory is highly associational: remembering something associated with a memory makes it much easier to remember the memory itself. In this case, the first few numbers helps to recall the associated further numbers.