I’m terrible with names too. I have various systems. I’ve tried the repeat the name back but it means more than once they’ve thought their name is also my name. Or I forget to say my name at all as I’m so busy concentrating on theirs.
I love your system and your secret effort. I now declare my ineptitude at name recall when I meet new people. But also I try! Pretty great at sniffing though. Bit of a curse sometimes, TBH. I often feel bad for dogs that have to live in strongly scented households.
Or dogs who are subjected to shampoos by their owners. Removing a dog's natural scent makes for chaos in the dog world -- they need their scent more than anything. Maybe if owners actually thought about the genuine well-being of their dogs instead of something to entertain them while experiencing the human condition, we'd have happier dogs.
I have an excellent sense of smell, which was both helpful and terrible when a mouse moved into our kitchen, and I could smell it but not find it. After much sniffing, I finally located it nestled in the insulation in the back of our stove. They had half a Ritz cracker and a piece of bacon with them, and were clearly planning on being long term tenants until I evicted them into the back yard.
This makes me think of that Maya Angelou quote for some reason — “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Even if I’ve long forgotten someone’s name (or whether they love olives lol) I still remember how they made me feel — joyful, horny, bored, filled with incandescent rage etc.
When I was teaching, I always tried to be off book with the kids' names by the end of the first week but hopefully sooner. I wanted every student on my roster to feel that I cared about them just by virtue of them being there. Sometimes I see them out in the wild (some of them are in their late 20s now) and I'm like, "I wonder if they're still allergic to plums," or "do they still love One Direction," or "I hope they read this book I think their 10th grade self would have loved."
I discreetly google people that I should know but have momentarily blanked on their names. Because google knows everyone, it works even with ordinary people as long as you can plug in a few vague facts or a location/ workplace. Is that weird?!
My memory with names is a real sieve, but, as with many other tricky situations, I always manage to get by with my natural predisposition to be a smooth operator.
On the other hand, my sense of smell is worthy of that of a truffle pig (it is known that those rosy little animals are the greatest sniffers, especially for those culinary treasures), which is often more of a curse than a blessing: see under "armpits in summer" and "poor cooking of the elderly neighbor next door", among others.
I’m good a packing, like suitcases and boxes not that handy a skill but I always know when stuff will/won’t fit. My husband used to call me homing pigeon because if I’d been once I could get there again but that was because I paid attention or I feared I’d be left behind as a child
I loved Girls5Eva! So funny and nostalgic. I wanted to be in a girlband as a little kid, so I would totally join a multitalented pop project as a middle-aged woman. Would you?
I’m both bad at names and my smelling isn’t that good so it could be connected.. might try the writing down technique. I’m trying to work on my focus and mindfulness right now in general.
Whenever I catsit for my friend, or really any time I pet another cat, I worry that my cat can smell those other cats and is now hurt and angry.
I’m terrible with names too. I have various systems. I’ve tried the repeat the name back but it means more than once they’ve thought their name is also my name. Or I forget to say my name at all as I’m so busy concentrating on theirs.
I love your system and your secret effort. I now declare my ineptitude at name recall when I meet new people. But also I try! Pretty great at sniffing though. Bit of a curse sometimes, TBH. I often feel bad for dogs that have to live in strongly scented households.
Or dogs who are subjected to shampoos by their owners. Removing a dog's natural scent makes for chaos in the dog world -- they need their scent more than anything. Maybe if owners actually thought about the genuine well-being of their dogs instead of something to entertain them while experiencing the human condition, we'd have happier dogs.
I have an excellent sense of smell, which was both helpful and terrible when a mouse moved into our kitchen, and I could smell it but not find it. After much sniffing, I finally located it nestled in the insulation in the back of our stove. They had half a Ritz cracker and a piece of bacon with them, and were clearly planning on being long term tenants until I evicted them into the back yard.
This makes me think of that Maya Angelou quote for some reason — “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Even if I’ve long forgotten someone’s name (or whether they love olives lol) I still remember how they made me feel — joyful, horny, bored, filled with incandescent rage etc.
When I was teaching, I always tried to be off book with the kids' names by the end of the first week but hopefully sooner. I wanted every student on my roster to feel that I cared about them just by virtue of them being there. Sometimes I see them out in the wild (some of them are in their late 20s now) and I'm like, "I wonder if they're still allergic to plums," or "do they still love One Direction," or "I hope they read this book I think their 10th grade self would have loved."
I discreetly google people that I should know but have momentarily blanked on their names. Because google knows everyone, it works even with ordinary people as long as you can plug in a few vague facts or a location/ workplace. Is that weird?!
My memory with names is a real sieve, but, as with many other tricky situations, I always manage to get by with my natural predisposition to be a smooth operator.
On the other hand, my sense of smell is worthy of that of a truffle pig (it is known that those rosy little animals are the greatest sniffers, especially for those culinary treasures), which is often more of a curse than a blessing: see under "armpits in summer" and "poor cooking of the elderly neighbor next door", among others.
I thought I am the only one who is going through this hardship asking people their name and forget at the very next moment.
I’m good a packing, like suitcases and boxes not that handy a skill but I always know when stuff will/won’t fit. My husband used to call me homing pigeon because if I’d been once I could get there again but that was because I paid attention or I feared I’d be left behind as a child
I loved Girls5Eva! So funny and nostalgic. I wanted to be in a girlband as a little kid, so I would totally join a multitalented pop project as a middle-aged woman. Would you?
And I think Kip knows. They always know.
aw yes, take care of yourself and each other 🫶🏼
I’m both bad at names and my smelling isn’t that good so it could be connected.. might try the writing down technique. I’m trying to work on my focus and mindfulness right now in general.
I also have part of my brain occupied by Love Is Blind! Often wonder what great skills could have fit in there otherwise... ah well.
I’m terrible with names (and faces) but I have an excellent sense of smell!
What a great system! I love the note for Boaz.
same same same!
Terrible memory for names.
Very (apparently!) limited sense of smell.
Lemon?