[extinctpotato]

For some reason, I just can't remember things for life.

Despite being fairly experienced and having a rather solid grasp of Python/Go/JS/etc I still have to look up basic things like file modes (with bash syntax being especially notorious for being forgettable to me).

What I'm good at, however, is keeping references in my head, i.e. I know precisely what to Google to get the exact answer that I want. This way I compensate for my bad memory.

And for the record, I'm in my 20s. Sometimes I worry if it's going to take a toll on my career in the long run but so far it hasn't been much of a problem (apart from being a source of insecurities).

[comprev]

Your post reminds me of a joke punchline which was something along the lines of "an engineer doesn't actually have to remember very much, they only need to know how to efficiently find the information when required"

It's true for people working in technology due to the rapid pace of progress. As soon as we learn something it's out of date!