Psychology studies suggest an inclination to forgetting people’s names after meeting them may not necessarily signify a bad memory.
Other factors could be the reason you forget names shortly after meeting someone – and the reasons are deep.
You can rest assured it may not come down to absentmindedness, but could instead signify certain personality traits such as being an introvert or someone who sees a ‘bigger picture’.
There are seven traits psychology reveals could help you excuse forgetfulness when it comes to remembering a person’s name – or not – when you’ve recently met them.
VegOut magazine has detailed the many factors that could be at play when a name slips your mind – and the reasons are intriguing.
VegOut magazine has delved into the ‘intriguing world of memory and personality’ unravelling some fascinating insights on the subject.
The publication suggests that for one, you may be an ‘abstract thinker’, they report ‘abstract thinkers are more focused on ideas and concepts rather than details’ and therefore someone’s name can slip your mind as you focus on complexities instead.
Next, VegOut magazine explored being a ‘big-picture person’ if you often forget names. You might be what psychologists call a big-picture person, they suggest.
Or, you might be highly intelligent, the publication explores – and ‘forgetting names could be an indicator of high intelligence’.
Their report detailed: “Scientists believe that this might be because intelligent brains are better at discarding information that is not useful in order to focus on what really matters.
“So, if you’re forgetting names, it’s not necessarily a negative trait. It could just mean that your brain is efficiently sorting information, prioritizing meaningful data over less important details like names.”
Another possibility is you’re highly empathetic and people with this type of persona are ‘often more engaged in understanding and connecting with the emotions and experiences of others’ – and they tend to focus on feelings rather than details such as names.
Or it’s possible you could be an introvert who finds new meet up situations ‘overwhelming’.
Introverts often find social interactions ‘draining’, VegOut reports, and this can make it ‘difficult to remember details like names’.
Or, perhaps you are highly creative – and ‘creative people often have minds that are buzzing with ideas, thoughts, and imaginations’ meaning details like names ‘can easily get lost’ in your ‘head full of ideas’.
Lastly, it is a known common phenomenon, so there’s no need to worry over it, perhaps for one or all of the reasons above you struggle to get someone’s name to stick, but so do many people.