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Sep. 25th, 2007 09:30 pmIs there such a thing as facial-recognition dyslexia?
Some people say that they never forget a face. For me, it would be closer to the truth to say that I never remember one.
Which is an exaggeration, of course, but I do have a very difficult time remembering and recognizing people--even ones I've already met--unless there's something particularly unusual about them or until I've met them multiple times. I wouldn't exactly call it a handicap, but it's very inconvenient.
In 1989, I worked as a research assistant with a graduate student from Brazil. On my first day, I spent the eight straight hours more or less side-by-side with her in the field and in the lab. She had her hair up in a ponytail that day. On the second day, she came in with her hair down, and it took me many minutes before I was sure she was the same person I'd worked with the day before. I expect she wondered why I gave her so many peculiar looks before coming over to talk to her on that second day.
I myself was a grad student for about a hundred years, and I was often asked to invigilate exams for classes I had no connection with. It was commonplace for a student to have a question mid-exam, and I generally didn't know the answer, so I'd have to go and ask the professor who taught the course. The problem was that by the time I had the answer, I'd already forgotten the appearance of who asked the question. My general tactic was to wander down the row of desks that I hoped I'd just been in and scan faces until I saw someone looking at me expectantly.
When it comes to watching TV and movies--well, that's just a whole 'nother area of challenging. If they don't have familiar big-name stars, I'm kind of doomed. I think directors should make a point of having all their main characters have different hair colours or wildly different facial hair or something. I watched Steve McQueen's Bullit with my father years ago--what an evil movie! Not only did most of the main characters seem to be brunettes, but it had twins in it! Do you think I had a clue as to what was going on? I bombarded my father with so many "Who is that?" and "Is this the evil twin or the good one?" that I'm surprised he ever watched a movie with me again.
My cousin Stephanie introduced me to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (S5), Angel (S2), and Nikita all in the same week many years ago. Could I tell Buffy, Darla, and Nikita (all long-haired blondes) and their male friends (all brunettes) apart, and therefore keep track of which series was which? Not a chance.
I bring this up because I watched the last six hours of Heroes Season 1 two weeks ago so I'd be ready for last night's premiere. I watched all of S1, I did. I even knew who I was looking at most of the time, really (thank you to the casting director who chose an Asian hero, a short blonde, a tall blonde, a tubby white guy, an Indian guy, a black guy, etc. etc.). I even figured out that Nathan had grown a beard.
But I did not know who was in that last scene until I read his identity on my flist today.
I don't know if there is such a thing as facial-recognition dyslexia, but if there is, I have it, and thank heavens for my LJ support group. :-)
Also? I need a Hiro icon.
Some people say that they never forget a face. For me, it would be closer to the truth to say that I never remember one.
Which is an exaggeration, of course, but I do have a very difficult time remembering and recognizing people--even ones I've already met--unless there's something particularly unusual about them or until I've met them multiple times. I wouldn't exactly call it a handicap, but it's very inconvenient.
In 1989, I worked as a research assistant with a graduate student from Brazil. On my first day, I spent the eight straight hours more or less side-by-side with her in the field and in the lab. She had her hair up in a ponytail that day. On the second day, she came in with her hair down, and it took me many minutes before I was sure she was the same person I'd worked with the day before. I expect she wondered why I gave her so many peculiar looks before coming over to talk to her on that second day.
I myself was a grad student for about a hundred years, and I was often asked to invigilate exams for classes I had no connection with. It was commonplace for a student to have a question mid-exam, and I generally didn't know the answer, so I'd have to go and ask the professor who taught the course. The problem was that by the time I had the answer, I'd already forgotten the appearance of who asked the question. My general tactic was to wander down the row of desks that I hoped I'd just been in and scan faces until I saw someone looking at me expectantly.
When it comes to watching TV and movies--well, that's just a whole 'nother area of challenging. If they don't have familiar big-name stars, I'm kind of doomed. I think directors should make a point of having all their main characters have different hair colours or wildly different facial hair or something. I watched Steve McQueen's Bullit with my father years ago--what an evil movie! Not only did most of the main characters seem to be brunettes, but it had twins in it! Do you think I had a clue as to what was going on? I bombarded my father with so many "Who is that?" and "Is this the evil twin or the good one?" that I'm surprised he ever watched a movie with me again.
My cousin Stephanie introduced me to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (S5), Angel (S2), and Nikita all in the same week many years ago. Could I tell Buffy, Darla, and Nikita (all long-haired blondes) and their male friends (all brunettes) apart, and therefore keep track of which series was which? Not a chance.
I bring this up because I watched the last six hours of Heroes Season 1 two weeks ago so I'd be ready for last night's premiere. I watched all of S1, I did. I even knew who I was looking at most of the time, really (thank you to the casting director who chose an Asian hero, a short blonde, a tall blonde, a tubby white guy, an Indian guy, a black guy, etc. etc.). I even figured out that Nathan had grown a beard.
But I did not know who was in that last scene until I read his identity on my flist today.
I don't know if there is such a thing as facial-recognition dyslexia, but if there is, I have it, and thank heavens for my LJ support group. :-)
Also? I need a Hiro icon.
