Note: This article is from blogger Antonio Rotondo, who shares 5 tips for remembering names better.
Or, while applying for your dream job that you have always wanted, you continue to call the hiring manager by a name other than their name; it will be a very awkward situation.
Remembering names is like an art that most of us do not master, and with age, it gets harder. For most of us, learning and remembering new names is like trying to practice origami without any instructions, and your hand is wrapped in a splint.
Why is it so hard to remember names? What can help you remember them?
From my personal experience, I find it difficult to remember information among patients who come to me for a neuropsychological examination of verbal and nonverbal recall capacities (among other neurological abilities that we test).
I can read a list of phrases and invite the patient to repeat them; I can also do this test several times to see how the patient recalls the information; or I can read a story twice to the patient and ask them to retell it to me in the same order of events in the story.
During these exercises, it quickly becomes apparent that good recall depends on many factors, including:
1. Attention
If you cannot focus on the information you read, perhaps because you have ADHD that hasn't been treated or because you drank a lot of coffee that morning and can't stop fidgeting, you'll have a hard time understanding the new data you receive.
2. Auditory processing capabilities
You have to be able to hear and process the story or the list of words that are read to you. If you can't, it will reduce your ability to encode information.
3. Contextual clues
It can be helpful, especially for those who can retain new information but have difficulty recalling it; for example, if I am telling a story about a firefighter and the patient cannot remember who the story was about, I give them a specific clue: “A fire broke out, and someone put it out." This contextual clue stimulates their memory.
Five tips for remembering names, from an expert in neuropsychology
1. Repeat the name when you hear it for the first time
Suppose you are at a party and get to know someone. Repeat their name consciously and loudly as soon as you hear it. With cognitive auditory repetition, you will be more likely to retain the person's name in your memory.
For example, you can say the name twice to the person you know, "Hello, Amy! Nice to meet you, Amy!” Focusing your attention on this verbal reinforcement can help you keep the name “Amy” in your memory.
2. Note any distinctive morphological qualities
Note any distinctive morphological qualities that characterize the person you just met (and then you can associate them with their name). Let's return to the example of "Amy" at the party; we will do well if we notice at that moment that it is easy to forget her name because it is very common, and in contrast, if her name was "Bonney," it may be more likely to be memorized because it is very distinct.
However, if we notice that Amy wears glasses and a red dress at the same time and place, this correlation will improve the likelihood of remembering her name.
3. Try to associate them with cognitive or emotional clues
Amy’s morphological qualities may not be distinctive in themselves. It is possible that she is not wearing something prominent that is easy to remember, and she may not have distinctive morphological qualities that are clearly visible.
Still, Amy may be smiling a lot while you are talking, and in this case, you can keep in mind that Ahmed is a happy young woman with many smiles. This emotional guide can later help you recall her name in a different circumstance.
4. Use memory-strengthening methods
Memory-strengthening methods are different kinds of cognitive clues to remember names, but sometimes using alliteration and rhyme helps to better establish the name you learned in your memory. You may have met a girl named Luna who came from Lebanon.
Homogeneity is Luna from Lebanon, or let's say that you met a person called Basil at a party in a garden where basil was planted. You can use the rhyme to remember his name, "Basil the Basil."
5. Get enough sleep and exercise
Adequate sleep and exercise are essential for the health of memory and brain. As you age, healthy lifestyle factors become more essential. They help protect against fuzzy brains, making names easier to learn and store.
In conclusion
Remembering names can be difficult for most of us, but it's also an ingenuity and skill that can be learned. With a little training and applying the instructions above, you'll be better at remembering names, which will positively affect your brain and perhaps your professional and social lives as well.
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