Yes, Virginia, Face Blindness Is Real

And it leads to real embarrassment in social and business settings.

And you wonder why I don’t recognize you!

“I really hope I can recognize my wife when I see her on the pier.” That was what was going through my head when my ship, the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), was returning off deployment in 1998. My wife and I had been married for about six years and had two sons, so one would think I’d know her anywhere, right? But I really wasn’t sure.

Thing is, I thought this was normal. I had no reason to think that the same thoughts weren’t going through the minds of the rest of the crew. I had no clue that there was such a thing as face blindness. What’s more, I didn’t know how lucky I was to have a career where everyone wore name tags, because it turns out I’m pretty good with remembering names and numbers, probably because those who are unaware of their condition of face blindness — like those with dyslexia — tend to adapt to their condition. So what I did when I descended the ship’s ladder to the pier and looked for my wife and sons, I looked more to see who was waving at me and made the mental match.

That’s not me, but you get the idea (source)

So I was lucky that day, for most of us can well imagine what would happen if one returns off military…