the "just can't remember faces" disorder

Frank

Recently a new friend of ours told us she just can't remember faces. She said that for example if she would see me in the street at any given day, as long as my tattoos would be covered up and I wouldn't wear anything flashy piece of clothing that she would remember instantly, she'd probably walk past me without recognizing my face. I think "well thank you, I always thought I was the only person who's retarded like that" when she explains to me that she's seen a doctor about this and was told that this was some sort of disorder. The main idea being that most people subconsiously sort of map out peoples faces and put something like a 3D scan on file in their memory. Aparantly, some people just don't have the ability to do so.I felt strangely relieved when she told us this story because I always thought I was a complete idiot for being unable to remember faces.For example if I'm at a club and get introduced to someone, turns out this is an interesting person and we talk together for an hour or so. One or two weeks later I meet this person again, he or she is wearing something different, it's someone without a real memorable haircut or tattoo, I draw a complete blank. I mean this person might come up to me and say "Hi Frank, great to see you again, how have you been?", I'd then sa "Oh, hi, great to see you again..." and then sort of try and get some hints about who this might be by further talking to this person. Once I get a hint, I can normally recall the entire conversation we had, remember the persons name and everything's great. Often though, you can see it in people's faces that they're on to you and think by themselves "what a superficial asshole, he doesn't even remember me..."It's always kinda like a nightmare if I am some place by myself without my wife where I might run into people I know but haven't seen a while. Having lived in many differrent places over the years while always working as a DJ and being a drunk doesn't really make this easier...Especially if it's people who I've only spoken with on a handful of occasions. There's almost zero chance I recongize them... naturally, this has in the past lead to multiple deeply embarrassing situations and I don't even want know how many people must think of me as an arrogant prick, idiot, helpless junky or all of the above...It's even hard for me to keep movie actors apart. A new character gets introduced -next scene, he's wearing a suit instead of jeans and a T-shirt and I have to ask my wife "who's that dude?"Anyone else on here suffers from or knows about this shit?

jaymack

i usually cant remember names. they say to say their name out loud as you meet them to help remember, but that doesnt work. but faces i can recognize pretty easily.

djkingotto

i usually cant remember names. they say to say their name out loud as you meet them to help remember, but that doesnt work. but faces i can recognize pretty easily.

i pretty much suck at both and its kind of embarrassing sometimes.

rootlesscosmo

i pretty much suck at both and its kind of embarrassing sometimes.

me too. it's nice when you see someone you know but whose name you don't remember, but you're with a friend who has never met said person. that way you just introduce your friend by name and let the person who's name you fogot do the rest.

DJ_Enki

i usually cant remember names. they say to say their name out loud as you meet them to help remember, but that doesnt work. but faces i can recognize pretty easily.

i pretty much suck at both and its kind of embarrassing sometimes.

I am absolutely terrible at remembering names. Just awful. And it is kind of embarrassing. When confronted with such a situation, I usually try to hang in the conversation until the person says or does something that triggers my memory of who they are. Of course, if that doesn't happen, then I'm shit outta luck.

jjfad027

LaserWolf

I used to be real good at remember names and faces.

After I got married I seemed to have gotten really really bad at both.

The names thing had to do with being very social and also chasing women. So I made a point of always remembering names.

I blame not remembering names now on no longer chasing.

I don't know why I don't remember faces.

bobbydee

I am absolutely terrible at remembering names. Just awful. And it is kind of embarrassing. When confronted with such a situation, I usually try to hang in the conversation until the person says or does something that triggers my memory of who they are. Of course, if that doesn't happen, then I'm shit outta luck.

That's me exacly. What's worse is i'll actually go up to people i recognize before thinking "shit I can't remember their name".

When I used to work in a big office with ID cards, I would update my photo all the time, so when I met someone I could say "I got the WORST id photo taken the other day"... which usually prompts them to pull out the license to show their good/bad photo, thus giving you a name.

Yeah... pretty lame.

waxjunky

This disorder is for real, although I don't know the name of it. I've seen something about this on "60 Minutes" or some similar show. There's people out there who don't recognize their own families.

Tabasko

This disorder is for real, although I don't know the name of it. I've seen something about this on "60 Minutes" or some similar show. There's people out there who don't recognize their own families.

Visual agnosia

peep:

Cosmophonic

i usually cant remember names. they say to say their name out loud as you meet them to help remember, but that doesnt work. but faces i can recognize pretty easily.

i pretty much suck at both and its kind of embarrassing sometimes.

I am absolutely terrible at remembering names. Just awful. And it is kind of embarrassing. When confronted with such a situation, I usually try to hang in the conversation until the person says or does something that triggers my memory of who they are. Of course, if that doesn't happen, then I'm shit outta luck.

The worst part is having to sort of trick them into saying their names!


Me: "So... ah.. how do you spell your name?"

Dude: "J-O-H-N"

Me: "Oh. Um... I thought it was like J-A-W-N. You never know these days. Uh... I??M A FOREIGNER!"






- J

ako

The worst part is having to sort of trick them into saying their names!


Me: "So... ah.. how do you spell your name?"

Dude: "J-O-H-N"

Me: "Oh. Um... I thought it was like J-A-W-N. You never know these days. Uh... I??M A FOREIGNER!"






- J

haha, i was thinking about this today. im awful with names. its just sad how many people i see and say hi and even talk to REGULARLY whos' names i dont know.

i guess the advantage about my name is everybody seems to remember it. its crazy how often i run into people i vaguely recognize me that are like "oh, hey nash!"


whats the deal with this? why are people bad with this shit? is it that i just dont care enough? haha

Mjukis

Visual agnosia

I believe when it's specific to faces, it's called prosopagnosia.

LaserWolf

I have a cousin. After a stroke he forgot ever place he had ever been. They go on trips now, but he doesn't remember where they were when they get back home. But he remembers people, and books and other stuff.