Facial recognition

Yes, before you begin to say. 'Rebekah, you mentioned this before,' You are right about that and go and check the post out.  But when I did my Speaking and Listening exam I made a speech about this. And most of friends and family wanted to know what I said, or more like what I suppose to do say.

So here is the plan speech which some edited bits to make this post more in the right context. Hope this come useful to one person! Even if it was just, glad I am not the only person, who couldn't recognize a face.

   Who are you again?

I should know you, shoudn’t i?

It’s in your smile

   God hopes so, I don’t want to offend a long last friend or stranger

I might not know you.

  But I want too!

I in 50 people suffer from face blindness this goes by the resounding name of prosopagnosia and means that people may not be able to recognize faces and associate them with the person's name which is incredibly hard to cope with. Sometimes people with this condition cannot recognize themselves in a mirror or a picture of themselves.

From time to time, people might not be available to recognize a long last friend just because they cannot recognize a last long friend does not mean they have face blindness.

It's the kind of problem where you end up second-guessing yourself a lot. Is it just laziness? Am I so uninterested in other people that they make no impression? Do I conduct entire conversations without actually looking at the other person?

Gradually I have come to see that it is a little more than this. When I worked at a pub and knew I would have to find a particular customer in the crowd, I would make deliberate mental notes: short blonde hair, pink cardigan. Still, often, hope that she would spot me looking for her.

Now you might be thinking why I am randomly writing about a disorder that affects 1 in 50 people.

It is a condition which can impact someone’s mental wellbeing as it can cause social anxiety especially when it is your family gathering and you cannot recognize anyone in there they all look like strangers. Many people with this condition will come up with reasons for not meeting up with large amounts of people so they do not have to embarrasses themselves by asking ‘Who are you?’ If though they spoke to each other ten minutes ago.

Struggles for people with face blindness, people do not know you want to be friends. People expect their friends to be able to recognize them and greet them. People with Face Blindness can't recognize friends and sometimes their family members.

I feel very confused when I walk into a group. I just don't know who to talk to who to greet. It is very embarrassing to not be sure who you are talking to. It is very embarrassing when you call your best friends by the wrong name. That is what someone with Face Blindness must go through. It is very embarrassing to call people by the wrong name or just walk by them looking rude.

Even well known people suffer from face blindness such as Brad Pitt. In my friend circle there is someone who suffer from face blindness and she could not recognize someone who she spoke to ten minutes ago. Can you imagine that? After I reading this today you would be a new person again.

In your teaching career (if you are a teacher) at least every year you had one person in your class who was face blindness. Does that surprise you?

How can you help people with Face Blindness feel included. The best way to greet someone with Face Blindness is saying their name then say who you are. Sometimes if the person can't remember who you are. Just remind them who you are. People with Face Blindness can sometimes recognize other by their hairstyle, jewellery, and their voice if they have been around that person for  long time.

This is probably the point at which you are starting to think, "How will I ever know if she remembers who I am?" Well, you can always wear a name badge! And actually, if you know me well enough to ask the question, I'm sure I will know who you are. But this is the kind of problem that far more people struggle with than ever talk about, so you may be thinking, "I thought I was the only one who did that!" So now you can smile politely at me as we try to work out where we know each other from. And I'll know there's at least one other person in the world whom I won't mortally offend.