We need to bring back rote memorisations in a big way

One of my least fashionable pedagogical opinions is that we should bring back rote memorisation in a big way. The Chinese say that if you haven't memorised large chunks of texts, then you simply don't have enough "ink in your stomach," which means you can't write - you don't know enough to use allusions, to play with intertextuality, to be in dialogue with existing lit.

I’ve observed that people who memorise a lot tend to speak and write well. I once heard that to become a Freemason, you must have depth in what you do, including the ability to lift scriptures and texts with confidence. It’s a sign of mastery. (I stand to be corrected)

As a child, I studied the Qur’an for a short time. And even now, I can still recite some of the Surahs I memorised back then. That practice did something powerful in me; it helped shape my memory, focus, and linguistic rhythm.

Later, when I became a believer (in my early days), I spent a lot of time memorising Bible verses. That habit also became a foundation for how I think, write, speak, and even process knowledge today.

Rote memorisation isn’t outdated, it’s a superpower we’ve wrongly abandoned.