Is this a good thing or a bad thing if you don't recognize people as easily as you used to? (girl, older)

[Mopac1980]

Is this a good thing or a bad thing if you don't recognize people as easily like you used to?

Today I've seen a few acquaintences from high school who I haven't seen in years and they were able to recognize me but I wasn't able to recognize them.

Just the other night I've seen a girl who I haven't seen since high school (that was almost 10 years ago) and she recognized me but I couldn't recognize her at all.

I did know alot of people back in high school.

[allforcats]

"Good" or "bad" in regard to what?
Who cares if you recognize long-gone people? Do you?
If such people have nothing whatever to do with your life, what possible importance does not recognizing them have? Why should you recognize them?

Does your feeling good about being you, living your life, depend on the ephemeral, uncontrollable and useless opinions of others? No, right?
So why not crowd your life with experiences and reactions and plans that make your heart sing? Isn't that why you're here?

And when you smile, in all circumstances, you tell your brain and your body and your mind that life is good. Isn't your deliberately creating your well-being what matters?

[Mopac1980]

Originally Posted by allforcats

"Good" or "bad" in regard to what?
Who cares if you recognize long-gone people? Do you?
If such people have nothing whatever to do with your life, what possible importance does not recognizing them have? Why should you recognize them?

Does your feeling good about being you, living your life, depend on the ephemeral, uncontrollable and useless opinions of others? No, right?
So why not crowd your life with experiences and reactions and plans that make your heart sing? Isn't that why you're here?

And when you smile, in all circumstances, you tell your brain and your body and your mind that life is good. Isn't your well-being what matters?

I'm just surprised that I'm not able to recognize people as easily as I used to, I don't think about high school as much like I used to I guess and that could have something to do with me not being able to recognize my old friends and acquaintences from school, I have moved on alot in life and I'm pretty content with where I'm at right now.

[ShinyHappyLucy]

I generally recognize everyone I knew, but I tend to forget names real easily. Really, someone could tell me their name and I'd forget it a minute later. Usually I'm too embarrassed to let them know I forget it so I listen and hope someone else calls them by name.

[sirron]

This just happened to me last week! I ran into a sweet lady I used to work with about ten years ago. Eeeeeek! Finally, after talking for a few minutes, I just leveled with her and said "I know who you are, but your name isn't coming to me." She was very gracious and told me and we had a nervous little laugh over it. Usually I can match up names and faces, but I guess I'm gettin' old. I don't like it!

[Ivorytickler]

The way I figure it, as we get older, there's more and more information stored in our brains so we have more and more to sort through to find what we need. It's not that we forget things, it's we can't find them as easily as when we were young and our heads were mostly empty space

That's my story and I'm sticking too it.

[JerZ]

The times I ran into people from high school much later, I usually didn't recognize them. I was always embarrassed about it. They always seemed to recognize me. I don't know whether it's because they changed, or because I just don't have a great memory for faces.

In any case, it's embarrassing when that happens.

[therewego]

I recognize people but I am not recognized. It makes me feel like I am not worth remembering. On the other hand, when I do recognize them they are struggling with their kids at the store (or wherever) so I do not make an effort to start a conversation of "remember me from high school?" I was glad high school was over...

[cricket_factor]

Originally Posted by Mopac1980

Is this a good thing or a bad thing if you don't recognize people as easily like you used to?

Today I've seen a few acquaintences from high school who I haven't seen in years and they were able to recognize me but I wasn't able to recognize them.

Just the other night I've seen a girl who I haven't seen since high school (that was almost 10 years ago) and she recognized me but I couldn't recognize her at all.

I did know alot of people back in high school.

Maybe you're aging better than they are? I wouldn't worry about it all.

[IZthe411]

I think it's because in HS, those people were pretty much your life, b/c you spent a signficant portion of your life with them. After HS, you go to college/enter the workforce/go where life takes you, and you find that there is less concentration with the people you encounter.

I know personally, I've seen someone that I recognize, and I have to ask myself did I know them from school/college/work. I'm bad with names, but if I have an opportunity I'll walk up and try to figure out how I know them.

Plus I think not recognizing people has to do with how we physically change. People put on weight, lose it, lose hair, change hair color, etc. I've been out of HS for 12 years now, and sometimes I see people I was in school with, and I have to take 2 or 3 looks at them because I don't recognize them, they have changed that much. So it's not necessarily a bad things, due to so many circumstances.