Remembering names and tables

Quinlan

Quinlan

Right the First Time!
MBTI
ISFP
Hi there I'm new, I hope this board takes off so I can better understand my type.

Anyway I was wondering if this was an INFJ thing, I have always had a problem remembering names. I can know a person quite some time before I remember their name, I always remember a face but never a name it takes a conscious effort to learn names.

I'm fairly certain this is to do with Si, the same goes for multiplication tables at school. I would consistently place in the bottom of my class at mathematical tests that involved memorization. As an INFJ I hated rote learning, not only did I find it difficult but worst of all it had absolutely no meaning and purpose (especially with the availability of calculators). Are these INFJ things or is it just me?
 
Disclaimer: I'm not INFJ.

My suggestion is that you learn them, as early as possible so you get used to it. Math is more practical than most would think.

Probably a trait of weak Si like you said.
 
1. It can take me months to learn names of people I encounter regularly. I have to make an effort at it.
2. I absolutely despise any redundant math, and in fact, will even refuse to do it despite my perfectionistic nature.
 
Welcome to the forum!
I have to make a concerted effort to remember names and when introduced to someone say the name over and over in my mind to try and make it stick. If I'm at a dinner party and am quickly introduced to the people around the table I'm totally lost.
Math - oh man just typing that word gives me the willies!
 
welcome here

and yeah, i have that problem... this past Holiday Party my work had, they had me check people's names off a list if they had a ticket... these people i worked with for the past few years (and i would know them, stop them and talk to them all the time at work), for the LIFE of me, i could NOT remember their names when they would come up to the table

it was an embarassing thing when your best of friends come up to you, and the first thing you say is, "dude, i'm sorry. i am terribly bad at names. what your name again?"

i had to hand the job to someone else, cause i just hated feeling like an idiot...
 
i work on network systems in the Intel world, yes... i'm just the handyman maintenance guy who can never remember anyones name

well, except, "hey... you!"
 
Motor Jax said:
i work on network systems in the Intel world, yes... i'm just the handyman maintenance guy who can never remember anyones name

well, except, "hey... you!"
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That's what he still call me ;)

Welcome to the Forum Stone!

Personally I HATE having to memorize stuff, but it is a necessity so here are some tips that work great for me. However, keep in mind that I am an ESTP and being extroverted makes some of these a lot easier.

1. When introduced to someone, I immediately repeat the name: ... "Hello Stone it's good to meet you!"
2. In cases where I forget a name, if possible I discreetly ask a common aquaintance to remind me of the name.
3. I find something about the name that fits the person ... William may be very regal, Heather may look like the ultimate California Girl, or Daisy may be delicate - or maybe they look or act like a character with the same name ... a dark haired good looking man named Richard, would immediately become 'Ricky' in my head, and so on. (the trick is to remember to call him Richard, and not Ricky, lol!)
4. There are times when I just KNOW I am not going to remember a name (maybe it a foriegn name) and so I am open with the person and let them know immediately ... "hey there Kawasaki, I've never heard that name before, please forgive me if I have to ask your name again."

When it comes to numbers, I am a lost cause, so I don't think that's an INFJ thing :)
 
Oh yeah, names can be difficult. Math isn't terribly difficult for me, but that's mostly because of good study habits; if I had to remember formulas and tables alone, I'd be screwed.
I actually also have a horrible time trying to remember birthdays, ages, addresses, phone numbers....
 
I find it easy to remember things, and names, if they're easy to relate to something I know well. Like my friend I met, whose name was Shaundrea, I just thought of "San Andreas", you know like the Grand Theft Auto game? :)

My friend Katie, I remembered her name easily because that's the name of the woman whose over the volunteer group I belong to.
 
Thats an intuitive way of remembering names, making connections etc., it's how I usually do it too.
 
I find it easy to memorize people's names and faces. I am good at math and love dealing with numbers. Something with numbers I am good at memorize, but I was never good at subjects requiring rote memorization. If I HAVE to memorize them, I try to "understand" them in my own way, usually by connecting the dots.

This doesn't mean that I have weak Si, though. Memorizing and recalling is the basic/passive use of Si.
 
I don't do numbers in any way, but I don't think that's linked to INFJ necessarily. It's funny, too...I've worked around lots of people with heavy accents when speaking English....it'd drive my other colleagues nuts, but I tended to look right past it (and often it didn't even register) because I found myself focussed on the words and ideas being communicated, not the accent. Not sure if that is an INFJ thing either, but it was pretty conspicuous at the time.
 
gokartride said:
I don't do numbers in any way, but I don't think that's linked to INFJ necessarily. It's funny, too...I've worked around lots of people with heavy accents when speaking English....it'd drive my other colleagues nuts, but I tended to look right past it (and often it didn't even register) because I found myself focussed on the words and ideas being communicated, not the accent. Not sure if that is an INFJ thing either, but it was pretty conspicuous at the time.
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I think it's because of N. I may notice the accents, but that's the trivial part of conversation.
 
In remembering names yes I associate Like a person at work was names Fransisco so I associated San Fransisco but often called him San Fransisco instead of just Fransisco lol. So yes I associate a lot of things to names as well

The numbers thing I cant do them either....Accents I notice them but not to a degree of inability to understand...Example Some ESL peoples still speak their first language when trying to communicate in English and when they flip back and forth I can still understand all the words even if I have never spoken that language!
 
Has anyone accidentally associated a name with a person without even realizing it? I did that once; there was a friend of mine, and for a period of time I called her Danielle, even though I knew her name was Natalie. It was a compelled force that I couldn't stop; I knew, knew what her name was, but before it registered I'd have already messed it up. :|
 
gloomy-optimist said:
I knew, knew what her name was, but before it registered I'd have already messed it up. :|
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I have a friend named Jim that is in this category.....I swear he's a Bob. Anyway, my friend's seem to have the same problem, so he's in big trouble!!!! I guess his mother just got it wrong??? ;)
 
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