The Simplest Scientific Strategies for Remembering People’s Names
Being good with names is an underrated social power
I’m a bit particular about my name — which is unfortunate for me, considering how often it’s mishandled. People mispronounce it, misspell it, ignore it in favor of a nickname they’ve decided to give me, or forget it altogether. Sometimes I get “Julie,” other times, a blank stare. Most shrug off their clumsiness, saying they’re simply “bad with names.”
But remembering names is a critical skill when it comes to building relationships. Dale Carnegie, the late author of How to Win Friends & Influence People, wrote, “A person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” When you address someone by name — at a party, a company event, or a family reunion — you’re dropping a bit of social shorthand that lets them know: This person cares about me. This person thinks I’m interesting. This person wants to learn more about me.
That means if you can be the rare person who’s good with names, you automatically have a level of power that others don’t. Remembering names isn’t easy (research shows that it’s actually quite hard), but with dedication, practice, and a bit of tricking your brain, it’s possible to master the skill.
