I Do Recognize My Friends: Oliver Sacks on Face Blindness

[@lostathenian1836]

One day my girlfriend came up to me in a busy public setting, wearing simple makeup and wanting to impress me. I didn't recognize her. Shortly after we broke up.

[@hebneh]

One of my friends - now deceased - began showing signs of early-onset Alzheimer's when she was 58. One very scary incident occurred when she was on her way to a meeting on the same street in New York City where she lived, and suddenly she had no idea where she was. She couldn't recognize anything, even though she'd lived on this street for probably 20 years. She eventually figured out that one of the signs she could see was for a Broadway play, and that it must be on a theater, which would have a box office. She comprehended that she could ask a person at this box office where she was and then ask for directions to the address she was going to. From then on, it was a long and slow deterioration for her.

[@caramason56]

A beautiful, inspiring, and brilliant man

[@gertrudelaronge6864]

Agreed!

[@cinnaplid]

I love this man!

[@cinnaplid]

I would imagine so. I have that to a certain degree, but my place blindness is far more severe. Sounds like Sacks uses a kind of 'visual mnemonic' to remember people's faces. Fascinating.

[@francinekrasowska4667]

To Linuxrat, below: No optometrist could fix this. It's not an eye thing, it's a brain thing.

[@dacisky]

I know.

[@RanjitSingh-ul1xk]

Oliver Sacks put a name to my disability which I've carried in a mild form through out my life. My face blindness, albeit, lacks severity, has caused me considerable embarrassment, occasionally. Life is a lifelong learning process indeed. Wonder, how common this disability is?

[@aimeemacdn]

This is very interesting. I don't understand how he could worked with that.

[@albertupardsnipec5988]

I am a super recogniser but also (like Mr Sachs) have aphantasia.

[@ImehSmith]

I forget names and dates instantly once they tell me unless it’s some weird, silly, or unique name. However I remember faces and moreso, interactions from when and how I first met someone til what occurred when we last saw each other! Ppl say I was an elephant in my last life because I never forget any anything. I, however, have car blindness. I can’t even find my car. They all look the same. Unless it’s neon green, pink, yellow, or some vehicle wrap or decal to distinguish it, or it’s a hummer, bus, or cute bubble like car, they ALL are shades of grey. Muted grey green/blue/burgundy/etc. And every car, sedan, truck, suv, etc are shaped exactly the same. Maybe the headlights are diff or it has some fancy wing on the back, but all cars from the 2000 til today all basically are shaped exactly the same!! I actually lost my car in downtown DC thinking it got towed….then stolen. Only to have it “found” 2 months later when the cops who FAILED MISERABLY finding it as they gave me tickets every week.

[@bodryn]

Interesting that my wife is much better at facial recognition, but I am much better at recognizing places. Also I usually orient myself using an inner compass, whereas she orients herself using recognized landmarks. When people are out of their usual context, I have a hard time recognizing them.

[@mandymouse1879]

He sounds like he may have had aphantasia too.

[@Linuxrat]

An optometrist in Scotland has found a treatment for this. He hopes his treatment will become more wide spread.

[@gertrudelaronge6864]

Nope. Not an eye problem.

[@tiagociriaco7380]

Reason is: guilt feeling, shame and fear. You prefer remain hidden by not looking at faces. If you dont look straight at faces you cannot record. You didn´t record you can´t remember. You can release these 3 emotions with mental therapy and revert the situation.

[@gertrudelaronge6864]

Your comment is inaccurate and over simplified.

[@Planclanman3]

Idiot

[@alfredofoti9490]

My heart