Most of us have experienced it at least once: Immediately forgetting someone’s name after being introduced. You’ll probe your brain trying to remember, struggling to come up with even the first letter. Then you get frustrated and think “Why is it so hard for me to remember names?”While you may think your inability to remember names is just how you were born,
psychologists are saying that it is actually your low level of interest that makes it hard for you to remember names. Researcher Richard Harris, a psychology professor at Kansas State University,
said that it’s not necessarily your brain’s ability that determines how well you can remember names, but rather your level of interest.”Some people, perhaps those who are more socially aware,
are just more interested in people, more interested in relationships,” Harris said in a university news release. “They would be more motivated to remember somebody’s name.”
For example people in politics or teaching may be better at remembering names because knowing names is beneficial, according to researchers. However, a person’s inability to remember names does not mean they have a bad memory.
