Chapter 30
Remembering Names
Have you ever forgotten a name? Ever been caught off guard because you were supposed to introduce two acquaintances, but you've totally blanked? Of course you have—you're human. Forgetting names is a fact of life, yet for something that happens so routinely, it causes a lot of anxiety.
It's no wonder. To an individual, his or her name is very personal and hearing it spoken is like music to his or her ears. It can make a person feel important—or unimportant—when it's his or her name that's been remembered—or forgotten. It can also make you feel like a real horse's you-know-what when you're the one who has forgotten someone's name.
Relax. Beating yourself up for being inept at remembering names is not going to make it any easier and it will likely perpetuate the problem. To alleviate pressure, the first thing to do is to accept that forgetting names happens, even for those who are usually good at remembering them.
In fact, I've noticed as my mind sifts through the thousands of names circling around in my head that I'll second-guess myself and play it safe by not using names at all until I am sure. This is probably a reaction from every now and again getting a name wrong when I thought I was right.
Not long ago a gentleman came over to me at a formal business function. I was certain he was a long-lost contact I hadn't seen in a year. Unfortunately, he just looked like my long-lost contact and was actually a partner in a firm I was hoping would contract ...
