# Do you ever forget how to walk down stairs?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-forget-how-to-walk-down-stairs/627002>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [July 2, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-forget-how-to-walk-down-stairs/627002 "2012-07-02T14:44:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-forget-how-to-walk-down-stairs/627002/21 "2012-07-02T23:32:03Z")

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I don’t forget how to walk on stairs, probably because I’ve never thought about it. If I lock up tomorrow, I will curse at you.

I can’t type if I think about it. My hands know what to do as long as I don’t bother them. Now that I’m thinking about it, I’m staring at the keyboard trying to remember where the keys are. So I’m sending curses your way anyhow!

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**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-forget-how-to-walk-down-stairs/627002/22 "2012-07-02T23:32:14Z")

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I used to be able to step down off of a two-foot drop-off – like, say, a loading dock, or just a two-foot ledge of rock. Or like standing on a stool to reach an upper shelf.

I can’t step down that far any longer. My body is capable of it; I’m not too stiff, or too weak, or even too clumsy. But I can’t do it. My brain-leg coordination won’t permit it. I stand there and feel stupid and helpless, and end up turning around and getting down on one knee, and doing it that way.

Weird. And depressing!

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**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-forget-how-to-walk-down-stairs/627002/23 "2012-07-03T00:01:14Z")

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I’ve never had this particular issue. However, I \*have \*forgotten other things related to muscle memory, notably a particular billing zip code that I type hundreds of times a week at work. If I think about it, I will mess it up. I couldn’t even tell you what it is now, except that it starts with a six (which I only know because it’s in Missouri, and \*all \*of Missouri’s zip codes start with six).

My fingers know it, my conscious brain does not. It’s weird. I’m glad my stair-spelunking skillset doesn’t work the same way. I definitely believe it’s possible, it’s just not an issue for me. Maybe your brain remembers stairs differently than mine does!

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