Names

[Blues Man]

Are you good at remembering people's names?

I am absolutely horrible at it. I spent so much of my time as a teen trying not to be noticed that I made it a point not to know other people's names.

I was more concerned about getting the hell out of my neighborhood that I didn't want to remember

I am good with faces though. I learned I had to recognize the people I wanted to stay away from

 

[JoeMoma]

I am also terrible at remembering names. My memory isn't what it used to be.

 

[Dekster]

I used to remember everybody's name. Often I would even know everybody's middle names too. However, when I went to work on politics and on Capitol Hill, I was inundated with such an unending litany of names being thrown at me daily that it pretty much fried my ability to remember anybody's name any longer than I have to. I mean literally every name "sounds familiar" to me now even if I have no idea who the person is.

 

[1srelluc]

Negative, I had to remember the convict's name/number/rack assignment and when I retired I quit remembering names because I no longer had to.

It was sort of like after my last day and I got home and took off my watch.....I never put it back on.

It's funny though, if I see a ex-con on the street I can still recall the convict and their info.....Never mind I might have had him on the unit in the 70s.

 

[shockedcanadian]

Names, faces, where we met, what we discussed etc. I am blessed with a strong memory probably related to my childhood of being a runner, cross country and otherwise. In some instances I might not remember the name as it depends on the interaction, but definitely I will recall the face. I will instinctively know if they are "friend or foe", the past interaction was good, bad, suspicious etc.

As I age I try and maintain my brain power through nootropics. Much of it is sketchy science so not sure if it works or not but I try. IMO the best approach to keep a strong memory is exercise. I feel the difference since I don't work out anymore.

Sometimes it may take a moment as my mind first compiles the face and then I have to locate their name and location, but it is eventually assigned by my brain. For the Creepy Ones in my city it makes their job far more difficult.

For instance, just last month I saw a guy at the Dollar Store, it was in passing. Immediately my mind recognized him, I wasn't sure from where. I arrived at home and told my wife "I've seen this guy before" and it was bugging me. Within a few minutes I remembered, "ah yes, I worked with that guy a few years ago at a temp job I did". I remembered his name, how his voice sounded, what we talked about.

My best was probably a woman who I saw on TV at CBC. I had met her once during my MBA in an after class party type networking event. At the time I drank alcohol so I had a few in me as well which makes it that more impressive. We spoke for about two minutes, if that.

I saw her doing a news cast on TV, different hairstyle, same face. I told my wife "that's _______, I met her at an MBA event 15 years prior." For some reason I instantly recalled her name based on her face. A few seconds later her name is provided underneath (I didn't know her last name, now I do). She worked at CBC but has since left.


Memory is a tricky asset it can sometimes be a liability even a burden. It's in our best interests to maintain it though, I've seen shows of those with altzheimers, such an outcome scares me.

 

[Blues Man]

Names, faces, where we met, what we discussed etc. I am blessed with a strong memory probably related to my childhood of being a runner, cross country and otherwise.

As I age I try and maintain my brain power through nootropics. Much of it is sketchy science so not sure if it works or not but I try. IMO the best approach to keep a strong memory is exercise. I feel the difference since I don't work out anymore.

Sometimes it may take a moment as my mind first compiles the face and then I have to locate their name and location, but it is eventually assigned by my brain. For the Creepy Ones in my city it makes their job far more difficult.

For instance, just last month I saw a guy at the Dollar Store, it was in passing. Immediately my mind recognized him, I wasn't sure from where. I arrived at home and told my wife "I've seen this guy before" and it was bugging me. Within a few minutes I remembered, "ah yes, I worked with that guy a few years ago at a temp job I did". I remembered his name, how his voice sounded, what we talked about.

My best was probably a woman who I saw on TV at CBC. I had met her once during my MBA in an after class party type networking event. At the time I drank alcohol so I had a few in me as well which makes it that more impressive. We spoke for about two minutes, if that.

I saw her doing a news cast on TV, different hairstyle, same face. I told my wife "that's _______, I met her at an MBA event 15 years prior." For some reason I instantly recalled her name based on her face. A few seconds later her name is provided underneath (I didn't know her last name, now I do). She worked at CBC but has since left.


Memory is a tricky asset it can sometimes be a liability even a burden. It's in our best interests to maintain it though, I've seen shows of those with altzheimers, such an outcome scares me.

My memory is just fine.

I just don't make an effort to remember people's names because people I don't know aren't important to me.

 

[shockedcanadian]

My memory is just fine.

I just don't make an effort to remember people's names because people I don't know aren't important to me.

Yes. That's a personal choice then. You've consciously disregarded information that you don't want filled in your brain. That's an evolutionary coping mechanism.

There are various arguments about the limits of the human brain. Many believe we each have a maximum memory size, like a computer. As such, our brain prioritizes what to store and what to send to the garbage bin.

There are many theories, all of them impossible to prove at this point. However, the logic is, if you recall and add one fact you may lose another somewhere in the grey matter. I miss hitting the gym as I always feel mentally sharp after, the effect of the endorphins and blood flowing throughout the body and the brain. I felt my memory was enhanced. Can't prove it, but I sensed it. A noticeable mental acuity difference from when I am not active.

Is it possible we can expand our memory capacity and thus remember much more? I personally believe so, I dislike the idea of limitations on anything that the human body can achieve. This would include names and faces.

 

[JOSweetHeart]

For the most part, I can remember names, but every now and then, a name will escape my memory and when it does, I will admit to the person that I have forgotten their name. My big question is, am I the only person who will actually ask the person what their name is?

God bless you always!!!

Holly

 

[shockedcanadian]

For the most part, I can remember names, but every now and then, a name will escape my memory and when it does, I will admit to the person that I have forgotten their name. My big question is, am I the only person who will actually ask the person what their name is?

God bless you always!!!

Holly

No, you aren't alone. I will ask someone if I forgot their name. I'm human and in every case it would be someone I either don't regularly interact with in an auspicious manner or haven't for a long time.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I've always been bad at remembering names and dates.
Hell, I have a reminder set on my phone so I dont forget my Wifes birthday even after 30 plus years of marriage.

 

[JOSweetHeart]

^^^ If you still remember the day that you married her, that would be enough for me if I was in her position.

God bless you and your family always!!!

Holly

P.S. Some people don't like birthdays because it only reminds them of how old they are now. For those people, I can only say that they should be glad that they have as many as they get because plenty of people unfortunately never get as far in life.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

^^^ If you still remember the day that you married her, that would be enough for me if I was in her position.

God bless you and your family always!!!

Holly

P.S. Some people don't like birthdays because it only reminds them of how old they are now. For those people, I can only say that they should be glad that they have as many as they get because plenty of people unfortunately never get as far in life.

July 21 1992
It's funny you mentioned that.
We both forgot our anniversary last year...and we both laughed about it.

 

[JOSweetHeart]

^^^ I love that. To me, the both of you forgetting means that neither one of you can say that you did more than your spouse did because you both forgot. In other words, you both were for once on the same page in the same book if that normally doesn't happen with you and her.

God bless you and your family always!!!

Holly

 

[whitehall]

Just when I was getting the hang of remembering names the system has to deal with sexual pronouns.

 

[JOSweetHeart]

^^^ As long as a person doesn't change their name or at least their initials, it shouldn't be too hard to make such an adjustment. Just don't forget their names because names can be what you can always go with instead of any pronoun.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

 

[whitehall]

People milling around at an event are one thing but you don't forget the names of friends and certainly family members unless you have serious issues.