Faceblindness?

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Okay, so I understand mind-blindness, but face-blindness has always confused me. I can remember that I know someone's face, but their name is what I forget. I've forgotten someone's name up to five times in one night, yet I'll still recognize that their face looks familiar.

So... >.> Not sure what I'm asking about actually, but can someone explain about face-blindness and the reason and such?

I can't really explain it, but I sure have it, I can fail to identify even people I've known for years. I think it has something to do with the fact our minds use different strategies to recognize things. The weird thing is sometimes I've get to the point where I can recognize people that I always see at a certain place, like at the jam sessions I used to go to, but when I see them somewhere else I'll walk right by them. I guess because I need the background to be there too in order for my identification abilities to function. Without the background there just isn't enough data for me to make a connection.

i was wondering today whether it's because i simply don't look at peoples faces. even when i'm having a conversation with them, let alone passing in the street.

i have to make a conscious effort to look at passing people to check if i recognise them. which i think comes across a little unnaturally because they always look startled or confused or...something. Who would have thought something so basic as looking at someone would be such a challenge

It's funny but at times ever one will say what does you're sister look like. I know who my sister is but I don't know hot to tell people what she looks like. In fact I can't tell what any of my family members look like. There are things I use or pick from them that makes me remember them. This can be a problem when people say they are joking. Ever one always says that if they have a smile they are joking with me. But there are times where I still can't tell if it's a joke or not.

And no matter how often I tell me that it is really hard for me to pick up on that they still want to joke with me. There are other things to but it's hard for me to put it to words.

For instance I don't see someone's face as a whole, only small details. And thus every time I see them I get a different impression of their faces. Generally I don't remember how someone looks like, even my family or myself; however I think I recognize based on these details and body, clothes. Idk if that's 'face-blindness', though. And I do look at people's faces a lot, not in the eye, but I just investigate their facial features and what they are doing as if trying to see something in the face, yet nothing comes.

I wasn't faceblind when I was younger, but my autistic symptoms seem to be getting worse with advancing age and decreasing social contact. I've noticed that I often can't tell if I know a person or not. The strange thing is, this doesn't happen when I watch movies or TV. I have a pretty good memory for the faces of actors. But when I'm out and about, I'm pretty much unable to recognize people.

It might just be a symptom of stress and social anxiety. Plus, like OneStepBeyond I'm also reluctant to look at people's faces. When I do fleetingly look at a person who approaches me, it is like seeing someone from a great distance. I just can't really make out who they are, as if they were too far away or blurred behind a milk-glass screen. Complete strangers sometimes look weirdly familiar to me, and for a moment I think they might be one of my relatives. On the other hand, people that I've met before often look completely unfamiliar.

It might help if I took another, longer look, but I'm deadly afraid that people might feel stared at by me. Coming to think of it, it might really just be my aversion to making eye contact or looking at people for longer than a second. I've never consciously seen the face of my dentist, for example, because I usually look at his shoulder or a point at the wall next to his head. It's one of the many things about me that freak people out.

(Which reminds me, I used to look down at the floor back when I was still able to work, simply because it allowed me to better focus on things people said to me. Until I overheard my co-workers talking about me, and learned that they thought I was some kind of pervert who constantly stared at their crotches I guess the fact I have an increased saliva flow when I get nervous and make smacking noises that I'm not really aware of didn't help matters. This was one of the many incidents that added to my social anxiety until it reached crippling levels).

Last edited by CrazyCatLord on 13 Jan 2012, 9:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I find faceblindness interesting, in the sense that to me, how I recognize people is normal - but I recognize by voice, hair, clothing, and context. Outside of that context I often have no idea who someone is. But I can recognize people to some extent, sometimes (like I can sometimes recognize actors, like seeing Jonathan Frakes on The Waltons, but I don't recognize others - like seeing Hugh Laurie on Black Adder. Or for that matter, seeing Rowan Atkinson in anything but Black Adder).

Like seeing Ben Browder on Stargate after seeing him on Farscape. I didn't recognize him at all until I saw Claudia Black on the show (who was far more recognizable to me). Or seeing a video with two people I have met personally, and not recognizing them until one of the participants said something that triggered a memory of her saying something else, and then I stopped and asked, "wait, is that her?" and I had to check her hair, glasses and voice. Then, by extension, I realized who the other person likely is, but didn't have full recognition.

It took me three or four months before I could recognize my therapist by anything but her calling my name, and then it was specifically her hair.

I also noticed while watching Battlestar Galactica that there are several actors who play multiple characters: That is, the human Cylons. Some of them looked the same most of the time, but Tricia Helfer's character had a wide range of hair and clothing styles. In one scene, the intangible and invisible to everyone but Baltar Six changes from her usual hair to a darker color, tied back in a pony tail and wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt, and I didn't realize she was still Tricia Helfer.

I do forget names as well as faces, but it may also be that by forgetting the face I lose the name, and while I know that a person may know me, I can't recognize them.

Forgetting faces is another thing. I can't picture the face of people who I haven't seen in a long time, such as my parents and siblings. I do remember their presence, if that makes any sense -- e.g., dark-haired, tanned and portly in case of my father -- but I can't recall his face, except for the shape of his nose. This also only applies to the faces of people that I know in person. I can remember TV actors from way back just fine, such as Don Johnson in Miami Vice for example. Even though I've only seen the show a few times at a friend's place.

A while ago, I thought about my only two friends back in my youth days and wondered what might have become of them, so I googled their names. One of them had gotten married (good for him) and his wife had a website with wedding photos, one of which also showed my other school day friend. It was so utterly strange, like seeing their faces for the first time. I did recognize them however. A short and obese guy with bristly hair and a sickly pale, blond and thin guy, that's what I remembered them by. But their faces were a total surprise, and when I tried to remember what they had looked like 20 years ago, I couldn't come up with any face at all. Really weird.

^this

same as onestep.

I'm the same way, I have no trouble with faces; in fact I rarely forget anyones face. But names... I sometimes struggle to remember the names of some of my co-workers that I've known (kind of) for more than 10 years! If I don't speak with or about someone more than once or twice a month I will likely forget their name. I usually blame my age (I'm 41) but I've always been like that so I know that's not really the truth.

When I look back at old class photos from school I remember almost all of the faces and only a handful of the names. The ones I remember are either the ones I really liked or the ones I really disliked. (Or more accurately, the ones that bullied me or the ones that didn't).

I'm equally bad with phone numbers (I sometimes forget my own) and birthdays too.

Forgetting names is not face blindness. There is an area of the brain dedicated to recognizing faces, and name retrieval is in a different area.

I read a very interesting book by an otherwise NT woman who is neurologically face blind, confirmed by fMRI testing. I Don't Know Anyone Here She would interact with people she'd worked with for years and not recognize their faces. To her they were complete strangers until either voice or context clued her in.

Another book, Crashing Through, is about a man who was blinded at age 3 and had his sight restored in his 30's. He is also face blind because his brain repurposed those neurons.

I don't have Faceblindness, although Faceblindness is common in Aspies. But I often have trouble picturing somebody's face in my mind when I haven't seen them for about a day or so, but when I do see them I immediately know who they are.

I've gotten very, very good at covering up. Even relatives, I won't remember their face, but I'm friendly to everybody, and if someone calls me by name, I'll just say "Hi," without using their name, and maybe, depending on the context, make small talk about the weather or something until they say something that jogs my memory as to _who_ they are. Of course, if they're in context, like my cousin's Christmas dinner, there's no problem. I suppose in the first case, seeing someone in a crowd, people think I'm a little "standoffish", but after I've identified them, I'm friendly enough for it to be okay.

I was going to say no to this, but..
I have a tough time recognizing my 2nd Cousins and also my first cousin's wives!
Its embarassing as I have a nearly photographic memory otherwise..

Matthew

this happens to me too! someone getting a new coat can totally throw me off