4 ms·

I have prosopagnosia. It's not that I can't recognize people at all; however, I have to rely mostly on haircut styles, mimics and movement patterns, and, above

I have prosopagnosia. It's not that I can't recognize people at all; however, I have to rely mostly on haircut styles, mimics and movement patterns, and, above all, voice. I almost never identify actors in the movies (as they change their appearances professionally and I have trouble in remembering actual facial features), and it is out of question for me to remember anyone's face after several months. Especially when the haircut changes. I thought it is relatively common condition (around 2% of people). But other people seem to be genuinely surprised by it every time: "how could you not recognize me? I have passed directly in front of you?" Sorry.

Mz 10y ago
Studies show that people have trouble recognizing someone out of context about half the time. In other words, you work with John, you run into him elsewhere. You may not recognize him at all or you may realize you know him, but struggle to say from where. People who are giving you a hard time about this likely are overestimating their ability to recognize faces. Context significantly influences this.
deleted 10y ago
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sehutson 10y ago
Same here - I don't even recognize my immediate family in a lot of situations. I've had people accuse me of being a snob and pretending not to remember them, but once I know their name I can usually remember a ton of stuff about them and that usually makes them feel better about it. It's not super uncommon, but a lot of people make it to adulthood without realizing they have it - and some lifestyles make it easier than others.
dhimes 10y ago
I wonder if it is actually on a spectrum. I have difficulty, but also can work at it with some success. It was a running joke in our family that I would mis-identify actors on the screen. But eventually I got to be pretty good at spotting certain actors- by studying their facial characteristics.

Mz 10y ago

Studies show that people have trouble recognizing someone out of context about half the time. In other words, you work with John, you run into him elsewhere. You may not recognize him at all or you may realize you know him, but struggle to say from where. People who are giving you a hard time about this likely are overestimating their ability to recognize faces. Context significantly influences this.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

sehutson 10y ago

Same here - I don't even recognize my immediate family in a lot of situations. I've had people accuse me of being a snob and pretending not to remember them, but once I know their name I can usually remember a ton of stuff about them and that usually makes them feel better about it. It's not super uncommon, but a lot of people make it to adulthood without realizing they have it - and some lifestyles make it easier than others.

dhimes 10y ago

I wonder if it is actually on a spectrum. I have difficulty, but also can work at it with some success. It was a running joke in our family that I would mis-identify actors on the screen. But eventually I got to be pretty good at spotting certain actors- by studying their facial characteristics.