Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Have you met thingy?

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  • Jacob Powell,

    political correctioness

    Excellent, tpying dslyexia strikes agin...

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 23 posts Report Reply

  • Scott Fannen,

    I'm crap at remembering names too - when you don't have any reason to remember their names, you don't - then when you finally know them enough to remember their names, it's too late to ask.

    The XDCD cartoon Names always makes me smile in this regard:

    http://xkcd.com/302/

    Fortunately MY fiancée has a distinctive name (she's Polish) that makes it rather unforgettable (that, and she'd hit me if I forgot it!).

    Warsaw • Since Nov 2006 • 14 posts Report Reply

  • Jacob Powell,

    I drive my wife batty by recognising bit-part actors in movies and letting her know what other films they have also been bit-part actors in.

    In some perverse act of nature, though I forget the names of actual people I meet, like Evan I can remember actors, directors, and film titles almost like I have a truncated version of IMDb in my head. Most people don't find this endearing however, particularly if I have recently forgotten their name...

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 23 posts Report Reply

  • dc_red,

    97% on famous faces (Tony Blair threw me)

    Exactly the same for me. That didn't look at all like Tony Blair!

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    Fortunately MY fiancée has a distinctive name (she's Polish) that makes it rather unforgettable

    That would also quite handy if you had a particular condition where you found vowels hard to remember.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • slarty,

    I too am terrible with names.

    Be grateful,

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    I drive my wife batty by recognising bit-part actors in movies and letting her know what other films they have also been bit-part actors in.

    We must never allow our wives to meet & compare notes.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • rudi tee,

    It's pretty much expected that people won't remember your name on first intro, but occasionally you meet someone who practices some sort of name recall technique and continues to repeat your name back to you at the end of all their sentences. I find that quite unnatural.

    Grey Lynn • Since Oct 2008 • 2 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    I am hopeless with faces, anmes etc - but that is because I meet so many new people that it is hard to keep up. I

    just tell people when I don't recognise them for the third or fourth time to get an angle, you know, a hat or a lisp or something.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Jacob Powell,

    I just tell people when I don't recognise them for the third or fourth time to get an angle, you know, a hat or a lisp or something.

    Brilliant! I think i'll try that 'technique'.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 23 posts Report Reply

  • Ian MacKay,

    If Autism is near one end of the Continuum, then it is probable that everyone is somewhere on the continuum with no or a few or many characteristics. Then there is the genetic pre-disposition. And Asbergers or Dispractia etc

    I tried to cover my difficulty with name recall by trying to persuade everyone present to all be called Margaret. It was received in hostile silence. I suggested that every book in the Public Library should be multiple copies of the same book which would make it easier to remember Title/Author and much easier to choose a book to read. Same hostile response.

    Bleheim • Since Nov 2006 • 498 posts Report Reply

  • hamishm,

    Putting names to faces is a bit of a lottery with me as well.
    Good lord the ACT L+O policy sounds weird. It must be fun to think up that sort of stuff, knowing that you haven't a hope in hell of getting to do any of it.

    Since Nov 2006 • 357 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    I often find myself calling people mate or bro because I have no idea of their name. Or introducing people with "you guys know each other?".

    I've even forgotten what ACT stands for - ah, Association of C***ts and Tw***s - that's the one.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    In the faceblind test I scored 88% on unknown faces and 97% on famous faces (Tony Blair threw me)

    I got the same result on the famous faces. I wanted a back button to go back and look at it again, because it didn't look a bit like him. Maybe his hair is important in 'Tony Blair recognition'.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Roger,

    I used to think that I was bad with names and faces, but I have come to realise that ...

    ...sometimes I just make a dick of myself.

    Hamilton • Since Jun 2007 • 179 posts Report Reply

  • Dinah Dunavan,

    I am hopeless at names. I try all the sales tricks, repeating the name, using it frequently (if I can recall it 2 seconds later,) but nope, it's gone. Same with a lot of nouns. I'll be chatting away quite boisterously and suddenly forget the name of something ... like you know that thing you put garden waste in with a wheel and we used to play it as kids when someone took your legs and you had to ... a wheellbarrow!

    But I can recall a whole lot of minute detail about events. Where, when, who (that tall guy who always wears a hat). My family marvel at my recall of events.

    There's an interesting woman out in the world who can recall everything that ever happened to her. I read about her once. Some of the researchers studying her made the comment that what she recalled was not information about the world but stuff that had happened to her. So she could recall detail of an event only to the extent that it affected or involved her. A kind of self absorbtion.

    So my pet theory is that I am (partly) self absorbed. I can remember a lot of stuff that I was involved in but not your name, because, frankly, you're not me. I'll remember it if you're important to me or if you're very interesting. I think the social gregariousness fits with this. We socialites are a teensy bit self centred.

    Dunedin • Since Jun 2008 • 186 posts Report Reply

  • Grant McDougall,

    <smug>I'm superb at remembering people's names and faces. I can bump into someone I haven't seen in years and not only remember their name, but also details about their interests, etc</smug>

    The only thing I am crap at remembering is jokes. I hear loads of good ones and am rubbish at remembering them.

    Russell, regarding John Collie, at least you didn't really put your foot in your mouth and call him "Wayne Elsey" or be seen as winding him up and calling him "Andrew Brough".

    As for The Fast Women, they will, with a name like that, have to play 'She Speeds'.

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report Reply

  • uroskin,

    I'm sure McCain would make a better successor to Shakashvili than to Bush.

    Waiheke Island • Since Feb 2007 • 178 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Litterick,

    There's an interesting woman out in the world who can recall everything that ever happened to her. I read about her once. Some of the researchers studying her made the comment that what she recalled was not information about the world but stuff that had happened to her. So she could recall detail of an event only to the extent that it affected or involved her. A kind of self absorbtion

    In what respect is she different from any old woman?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    like you know that thing you put garden waste in with a wheel and we used to play it as kids when someone took your legs and you had to ... a wheellbarrow!

    A couple I met once (and I can't remember anything else about them) used to use 'hydrangea' as a generic noun for 'that thing I've forgotten the name of'.

    Apparently one of them spent a good while trying to remember the word 'hydrangea' at some point.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Ngaruna Kapinga,

    I asked, and then introduced him to the person I was with as John Kelcher.....It was in fact, John Collie...

    A couple of tips:
    1. go for first names only it reduces the chances of looking like a dickhead by 50%
    2. Try something like "do you guys know each other?" whereby they will usually introduce themselves. Although John and John may not be entirely helpful on your part.
    3. Try exiting the convo for a no more than 30 seconds i.e. to get a drink, food etc. 99% of the time they'll make self introductions instead of standing there looking like dickheads

    Wellington • Since May 2008 • 26 posts Report Reply

  • Rogan Polkinghorne,

    I never forget a face, but am terrible with names...and I'm also a member of the 'remember every useless movie/music related fact/person/name' club. Weird.

    And the name-shame is even worse because most people I meet remember my name...it being a little unusual and all.

    A-town • Since Nov 2006 • 105 posts Report Reply

  • cindy baxter,

    "do you guys know each other" - good tactic.

    i had a terrible time once when I would often be showing a new volunteer around the office and introducing them to people. I used to get to one particular person - Paul - and, for some reason, I would suddenly draw a blank - despite working with him every day.

    it got to the point of farce where it happened so many times that I would either just ask him to introduce himself - or make up a random name. it became a running joke... I now call him "tim john paul david".

    i've decided to simply accept that occasionally I forget names and to be up-front about it - and give up worrying about looking bad. Make a joke against myself and move on (as fast as possible, mind!)

    At least, Russell, you can explain your mistake - both called john, both flying nun, etc...

    auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 102 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    I know I'm not unique with my particular disorder but on the rare occasion that I mention it most people think I'm joking. I have no trouble with names, it's faces that I forget.
    I had a good friend visit me just the other day, he had only been to my house a couple of times and both of those were parties but I know him well from work and other social events. He knocked on my door, unexpectedly, and was quite taken aback when I asked him what he wanted in a manner, almost exclusively, reserved for door to door sales people. It took me about ten to fifteen, embarrassingly painful, seconds to recognise him. Most of the time people think I'm just bloody rude.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • B Jones,

    Ok, small sample size error coming, but my numerically challenged ex was very good with the bit part actors, whereas scarily numerate bf is awful at it. Couldn't spot Edward Furlong in CSI:NY last night as the kid from Terminator II. He doesn't do street names, but he can always tell which direction he's pointing in.

    I'm in the middle on the actor front. I don't often forget names, but I'm bad at applying them to the right faces, especially ones I haven't often seen or have met in groups or different contexts. On the other hand, I rarely forget the spelling of a word I've seen before (Sakashvili?), and I memorised part of the Owl and the Pussycat before I could read.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report Reply

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