- Remembering people's names when you meet them, or even after a lengthy separation, can be more difficult for some people than others.
- Forgetting names immediately doesn't just happen — there are reasons for it.
- If you are one of those people who forgets names regularly, there are things that you can do to improve your chances of remembering them in the future.
When you meet a large group of new people, it can be difficult to remember everyone's name, job, and any other relevant information. But for some people, even remembering the names of just one or two people can be a challenge.
There are a few different reasons as to why you might not be able to remember someone's name, but knowing what those reasons actually are and what you might be able to do to address them can help you learn — and remember — names a little bit better.
Forgetting people's names comes down to lack of interest and difficulty
Charan Ranganath, the principal investigator at the Dynamic Memory Lab at the University of California, Davis, told Time thatyou might not care enough to remember a particular name. That probably doesn't make you feel all that great when you think about it that way, and you may try to deny it. But if you really wanted to learn the name and remember it, you might have a better chance at doing so.
Additionally, Dr. David Ludden, PhD, wrote in Psychology Today thatnames don't actually tell you much about a personand that the lack of context and shared understanding can make it more difficult for people to remember them.
These two factors may also explain why, according to Scientific American, many people findremembering someone's face or other details is easierthan remembering their name.
Another reason you forget people's names: you don't really listen
Ranganath告诉《时代》,回忆起一个名字中l that additional information can sometimes pose a challenge that you may not anticipate at the time. But making an effort to really learn someone's name can actually help you out down the road.
"Their external auditory channel gets interference from their eyes, from their feelings, perhaps nervous feelings, and their internal dialogue,"Nancy Cramer, a leadership consultant and trainer in neuro-linguistic programming, told INSIDER. "People often have a conversation going on in their own heads. These channels are working against them. They have to learn to get their eyes, ears, and emotions working for them."
In order to really listen to what someone is saying, the Muse suggested youpractice shutting out the stream of thoughtsgoing on in your head or the noise around you.
Cramer added that looking someone in the eye during your introductions, repeating the name (to yourself and out loud by using it in conversation), and trying to come up with a way to help you remember the name if it's something that you're concerned you'll forget — like a mnemonic device or association — can really help you keep track. It's embarrassing to forget a name that you should know or get a name wrong that you really shouldn't, so doing your best to try to commit it to memory is likely a good idea.
Implementing memorization tricks will also help
Although you might not think thatknowing how you learn could help you remember names, it actually might, because knowing the way that you learn best can help inform the techniques you ultimately choose to help you remember or recall someone's name (or other bits of information), as The Muse noted. Visual learners need different things than auditory learners, who, in turn, need different things than kinesthetic learners.
Ultimately, however, forgetting names or getting them wrong can happen from time to time. The best thing that you can do is handle it with grace, apologize if necessary, and don't be too hard on yourself. It happens to everyone.
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