One of my great social frustrations is an inability to remember names. So I was intrigued when I saw an article entitled “Why You Forget Names Immediately — And How To Remember Them” by Jamie Ducharme.
Why is remembering names so difficult? According to the article, there could be several reasons. The first might be hard to admit to yourself — you’re not really interested.
But assuming you do want to learn a new name, perhaps you underestimate how much work it takes to remember. Maybe the name isn’t interesting, or it’s very common. And let’s face it, your brain already has a lot on its mind. So retaining a new name actually takes some work, especially if at the same time you’re trying very hard to think of something to keep a conversation interesting.
So how do you improve those memory skills? Try repeating the name after the introduction to reinforce the experience. Remember the moment, like the surroundings or topic of conversation. Latch onto to some personal distinction, like a unique aspect in appearance. If all else fails, you might be able to think up a mnemonic device, which can be any trick to help memory. Whatever works for you.
In any event, just realize remembering isn’t as simple as it may seem.
The complete article is at http://time.com/5348486/why-do-you-forget-names/?.