Remebering names

Post Reply New Topic

I was just wondering, am I the only person who has trouble remembering people's names. In Context:

My robotics class is made up of kids from a few of the different schools on the 5 high school campus I go to. I already know the names of some of the kids, but others I have never met. Fast foward half a school year. Personality wise, I now know my class mates. We've worked together, laughed ttogether, the whole nine yards. But I still don't know some of thier names. Not like I forgot them, but I never asked in the first place.

I don't think NTs realize how rare it is to need to use names in a conversation. Asking questions, telling stories, explainations, none of them need to have names in the present tense. The only reason I would need a name would be to attract the attention of the person I wish to talk to, and I can do that By walking uop to them and going, "Can I ask you something?"

Yet NTs are always astonished when I don't know people's names. The say "you know me don't you?" and I say yes I do. I just don't know your name. And they can't understand why.

I am horrible with names. I have worked in the same office for about five years. There are approx 25 people in the office. I still don't know all of their names. I was told them at one time. But I just don't remember. So occasionaly, the "whats your name again?" question comes out. People just think I'm nuts.

I'm bad with names and worse with faces. There's plenty of people I've known for years that I still don't know their name, or if I meet them in a place I usually don't see them in, I won't recognize them at all, until they identify themselves. I don't like that.

I cannot remember ANYONE'S name, when they're standing in front of me. However, I can remember later. It's as if seeing the person, wipes the memory blank. Very embarrassing; especially when they were just introduced to me 2 seconds prior!

Charles

I have a similar problem, except that my memory with names and faces is usually contextually based. If I go to the house of someone I am acquainted with, I will generally remember that person's name, simply because I expect someone with that name to be there. But if I meet that same person in another location, say, a grocery store, my mind will be a total blank for several minutes. I will remember having seen and met this person before, but I will forget his name and everything else about him due to the missing context. If I am reminded of the context, such as "I live at this address," my memory of that person will immediately return.

My context-based memory varies based on how well I know the person in question. If I go to the house of a good friend whom I have known for years, I can usually remember him immediately even out of context. If I don't know someone well, even a simple change in context can cause me to lose my memory. If I have met someone a couple of times and she suddenly changes her hair style or something, I am frustrated once again by that nefarious blank slate. - LJS

That's kinda how I am too. When I first meet someone and they tell me who they are, I won't remember it at all until I ask probably at least two more times, maybe even more. I'm really good with faces though. Like I'll recognize people, but I won't necessarily remember where I saw them or have a clue who they are. I used to work two different jobs, and one day while I was out taking the trash to the dumpster at one of my jobs, a coworker from the other job showed up. He saw me first and tried to get my attention(that's another thing. when people try to get my attention unexpectedly, sometimes I have trouble figuring out where the hell their voice came from... I mean like what direction they're in), and at first, I wasn't sure who he was because he wasn't in his work uniform, and he was in his car. I recognized the fact but couldn't immediately figure out who he was. I just knew that I knew him from somewhere. That kinda stuff bothers me because it makes me seem odd and stupid to others.

Another time, I was working at Pizza Hut in the morning, doing prep work for the day, and the guy who owns the store showed up at the door. I'd only really met/been introduced to him once, and he doesn't show up very often. That, and I think when I met him he was wearing a suit and tie or at least some sort of dress clothes, but this time he was in more casual/street clothes. I told my boss there was "someone" at the door because I wasn't totally sure who it was. I thought it might have been him, but I'd rather let my boss determine whether or not the person at the door was someone to be let in, instead of letting someone in who isn't supposed to be there and causing problems. Of course, they joked about me saying "SOMEONE is at the door," and it was kinda awkward then when he did come in and talk to me, but whatever. I can't help it. I didn't want to make a mistake.

Lots of people are bad with names; thankfully it's not a horrible thing to forget someone's name. Tell them that you are bad at remembering names and they'll probably be sympathetic. Most people won't get mad if you forget their name.

I'm the absolute worst at learning people's names. Unusual names are easier. It's the common ones that give me problems.

I'm so, so bad at names/faces.

I sometimes joke with people that I'm so bad with names that I sometimes forget my own. That makes it a little easier when I later have to ask what their name is for the tenth time.

I have always been very good with remembering people's names.
The trick is to learn the person's face first and then match their name with their face.
I understand that may be difficult for some aspies but that's how I do it.

wasn't really expecting that...

I can't remember names very well, but I have excellent memories with faces.. I'm not really THAT bad with names either, just that Names just never seem to come up in a conversation, which ends up in with me having known the person for months without knowing names.

That would probably be hard for me too. especially if it was in a large group.
I didn't mean to sound so arrogant in my post.

I am so bad at remembering names. In order to remember someone's name, I have to spend time with them on several occasions and get to know them a bit. Part of it too is that I find the "meeting/introduction ritual" that humans perform really stressful - how can I remember five different names when I'm focused on shaking hands (which is gross, I might add), making eye contact, and exchanging pleasantries? I also hate using people's names anyway, so it's not like I really need to know them. Funny though, I don't feel strange calling a pet or other animal by it's name, just people.

I forget the names of people I've known for years. I can often tell you everything about a person except their name.

I feel terrible when I don't know someone's name that I should know! You can't ask them because it'll make you look like a jerk, so you always have to think of creative ways to hide your lack of knowledge. (There was a really funny Seinfeld episode where Jerry didn't know his girlfriend's name , and he kept trying to figure out what it might be lol)