Face Recognition

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I can remember faces quite well, conceptually speaking. I generally know who's who. I can put faces to names, even, especially characters on television and so forth.

If someone were to ask me to draw a face, however, I would be completely lost. I mean, I can't draw to begin with, at least not in terms of curves and stuff, and I can draw quite well using graph paper. But I'm not even talking about that. If some person was to like show me this computer program they use for facial recognition, like those used to identify criminal subjects, I could not, for some reason, be able to give accurate representations. I generally do not pay attention to eyes, and I tend to pay more attention to mouths. I know some ethnic peculiarities in some facial recognitions, but to make up a face?

They have these computer programs where they show you a group of eyes or mouths, for example. I would get very confused as to try to get the picture right. I mean, I'd know the person by looking at him, but I can't visualize this kind of stuff in great detail. I have no idea why, when I can visualize objects with no problem at all.

- Ray M -

I cannot recognise anybody, or remember what anyone looks like.

At the moment, my partner is in another room of the house - and I don't know what she looks like. My three dogs are in the kitchen - and I don't know what they look like, either. I have no idea what my neighbours look like, nor my parents, nor my siblings. Also, I cannot recognise cars, so have no idea who might be waving to me as they drive past, or who has turned up on my driveway.

My choice is to greet everyone with enthusiasm who looks in my direction, just in case they are someone I know; or to ignore people, so I don't act the idiot grinning and waving at total strangers. I choose the latter. And, when I do speak to someone, I never use names, because I can never be sure (even when I am doing a good guess) exactly who they are. This means that anyone who doesn't know I am incapable of recognition probably thinks I am a very rude and snubbing person. Can't be helped. I do tell as many people as I can. A simple couple of lines:

'The bit of my brain which should recognise people doesn't work, so I will never greet you in the street because I will not know it is you; when we do meet, you will need to tell me again who you are - even if it is only minutes from the last time we saw each other.'

The downside to being face-blind is that when a person or pet dies, I cannot recall them in any whole sense at all (I can remember their personality, but I cannot 'see' them in my mind), which feels a greater loss. The upside, however, is, that, as everyone looks like a stranger to me, I never attempt to greet or socialise with them .... and that suits unsociable me just fine!

- Dani

My facial recognition is excellent. I rarely forget a face I've seen more than once. But my memory for names is very sh***y. I'll always recognize the person, remember where I met them from, what they do, other details about them, but I can't remember their name. I wish more people would wear name tags sometimes. Or maybe I should require every person write down their name for me when I meet them. I can remember names better when they're in visual form.

In my case, I also almost never forget a face. I usually forget the name, and quite often don't know why they are familiar, though. Just the other day I was in the restaurant across the street from where I work and I saw someone at another table who looked familiar. At first I thought it was someone from work, but the more I looked at him the less sure I was about it. By the time I left the restaurant I was convinced he was someone completely different and I had simply confused him with the guy at work. So I go to work and *it was him*. ARGH!

I'm good with voices, though.

I also recognized a guy in the movie theatre the last time I went. I finally remembered that I'd seen him at my old community college and he had worked in the cafeteria as part of the disabilities service. It took me awhile to place him though. And I'd never spoken to him. And hadn't seen him in a solid 4 years.

I'm good with voices too. On those Lowes commercials every time it's become routine for me to say something about Gene Hackman. He does a couple other company commercials too but I can't recall which ones at the moment.