Imagine you couldn't recognize people's faces, and even your own family looked unfamiliar. Lesley Stahl reports on face blindness, a puzzling neurological disorder.
poor lady, why make her feel guilty for not being able to recognize her daughter... maybe they didn't mean to but that seemed quite cruel and mean-spirited.
It's kind of funny listening to her sound so shocked as they describe my life. A couple of days ago we took my 22 month old son to the barber, and we cut off his very very long, shaggy hair, and give him a shaved little boy cut. I remember the exact moment in the cut when I could no longer recognize my own son. Days later I still feel weird because my brain keeps rejecting the idea that my son is here, and it's making me sad. Once when my husband shaved his head I'd walk into the room and see him and be startled, like who is this stranger?? Oh, yeah, it's the guy I married.
I always knew I was bad with faces, to the point that I'm afraid to initiate talks, scared to have recognized the wrong person. After seeing this, I realized I've been using the same tactics as the artist: registering characteristics such as cheek bone, forehead, chin, and nose. So whenever I see someone with similar facial characteristics, I find them strikingly alike though others don't "see" it. I had to rely on a lot of deduction, such as A girl is in this class and B girl isn't thus it has to be A. It's such a relief to know I'm not the only one with this struggle.
One time, at my brother's wedding, I didn't recognize my cousin. It hurt her feelings, and she never acted the same toward me since then. The truth is, I had memorized the way she used to look, and after around fifteen years of not seeing her, she didn't look the same at all. It's so frustrating.
I had 9 roommates at this boarding school I when to (all the new kids had to room together). I sat next to a girl in class with long black hair and her name was Wendy, and we hung out a little bit. After about 2 weeks I noticed one of my 9 roommates also had long black hair, so I asked her her name. She said, "I'm Wendy, I sit next to you in class!" ...... -_-' I had to explain my face blindness to her, but that was really awkward.
Jesus every time they interviewed these people they put them on display and shamed them. They made the artist essentially do a quiz, and the poor old woman, making her feel bad about not recognizing her daughter, then talking to her about the friends she’s lost. Then saying it’s “funny” to be faceblind. Like wot
This is me. I will send this clip to friends and family in hopes that they will have a better understanding of what I go through. Face Blindness seems impossible to most I've tried to explain this too. They will see something from 60 Minutes as legitamite. Thanks for doing this piece.
I'm not even 1 minute in, and this coverage is already so bad. Prosopagnosia has been under the scrutiny of scientists for at least 20 years - so it isn't an unknown disorder. Also, I understand that they wanted to illustrate that the person couldn't recognise the faces... but having them sit there like 'nope, don't recognise them' repeatedly was such a patronising way to do so. Also, showing the woman her daughter's face and implying that she really should recognise it was so cruel. Yes, it emphasises how problematic the disorder can be, but that point could have been demonstrated without the attitude. SO DISRESPECTFUL
agreed. she treated it like a game. it could have been purely educational and she could have had interviews with people who experience it but this was just cruel and with bad taste in my opinion. i mean it was several years ago but still
When I was young I taught it was normal to be forgetful even to the point of not remembering your own friends or family outside in the public streets...as I got older I began to doubt myself, even more, when I couldn't even recognize my own mother and sibling..my family thinks is stress and what not and I taught so too because I can remember everything else like equation, names, and stories.A guy I work with "who treats me so well and always gives me small gifts here and there with his male partner" I couldn't recognize him after seeing him helpless in the streets my mind told me to ignore him because he might be a crazy homeless or something but my heart told me to help him..and when he saw me he was so happy to see me and even hold my hand as if we knew each other for a long time, I couldn't recognize him at first but as soon as his partner arrived a few moments later I was able to fit in the missing puzzles, I was so shocked and embarrassed that I couldn't recognize this person who has treated me so well for so long it broke my heart.. after they left I broke into tears... I told my family about my struggles and we saw a doctor after that
It's a very common disorder frequently found in people who owe you money. Most people who borrowed money from me started to suffer from Prosopagnosia. This is often accompanied by Amnesia. I have decided not to lend anymore until they find a cure for this disorder.
I have faceblindness too. It's hard to make friends at my middle school because I can't remember them and when I have to ask them their names it gets awkward and they don't want to talk to me anymore :(
I’ve found being open and honest and explaining my face blindness helps a lot, especially since im a camp supervisor. My most helpful tool is telling people how I recognize them - the specific hair, the clothing choice, a very specific or notable feature (maybe they have really strong cheekbones or a strong brow). Like the artist, Im also very driven to draw faces. I don’t really like drawing much else. Some people I can come to visualize in larger pieces or nearly whole if I see them a lot or they have a number of really strong features (a polish employee has really distinct features and I really just can’t imagine the tip of the nose down. The more the think the less I imagine). I don’t feel like who I see in the mirror is me.
I clearly understand them. I do feel bad too. When my friends, classmates, co workers approaches me and can't recognize them. I though to my self that I'm really insensitive and do not value the times that we have together. Now I know. Thanks to this I won't feel that way anymore.
As someone who has this, I can assure you that NOBODY wants to be THIS unique and special. I worked for 5 years as a chauffeur, and for my regular clients, I had an easier time recognizing them by their luggage or their house or what they talked about than by their face. And that skill applied to irregular clients too-- I'd recognize people I'd only driven once and remember everything we talked about the first time as soon as I saw their brief case for example.
Thank you!!! I've always been embarrassed when I think I know a face then find it was a good friend I just passed by without saying a word. I think that's why I have so few friends. Actually none. I'm 64 years old and didn't know why everyone knew me so quickly but they had to remind me who they were. Very embarrassing. I hope they find a cure for this, for people in the future, so they don't have to endure the same affliction, or a life without friends.
I feel like they're completely bypassing the fact that this can occur in various severities. I definitely have this, but I can actually say it's improved over time! I always recognize close family members when I see them, but have a hard time picturing their faces when they're not there. I used to re-introduce myself to people I had already met numerous times, I now assume I know who it is and most of the time, I'm right! I greeted the wrong person a while back, thinking it was someone I'd met the night before, but I don't think that's too bad. The only thing I still struggle with tremendously is that I don't have a clear image of what I look like. I seem to look so different each time I look at myself and each angle I look at myself from.
Same. This video was frustrating to watch. I'm 19 and I only realized it now. A long while ago a friend invited a girl over. Last week I saw her again, and pretended i knew her because she knew my name. I asked my friend. 'what's her name?' He said her name followed by 'don't you recognize her? We hung out together all night don't you remember' How am I supposed to recognize someone after meeting for the first time I said. Then I realized he was serious. One time I had a new guy at work. He looked so average to me, it took me 3 weeks working everyday with him before I could picture his face in my head. Another time I had a long time coworker quit and met her randomly at a gas station one year later. It took me 10 seconds to recognize if it was her or another girl I knew. I also once refered to someone as a redhead in a conversation with someone else. He said who do you mean. I said 'Mike' (not his real name) He thought I was insane. Some type of Mandela effect. To me he looked like someone else i knew who actually has red hair. If you'd ask someone else they would probably barely find any similarities between the actual red head and 'Mike'. except they were both Big and wear square glasses. My mind mixed them up and it seemed it never corrected itself even after seeing Mike multiple times a week. It all makes sense now. I discovered my ASD diagnosis 2/3 years ago. And I've discovered things that make me different. I thought I knew everything about my disorder. But I was wrong again. I do have difficulty with recognizing my colleagues who i have to communicate with regularly through calling and messaging. Basically dispatch that I contact when I encounter problems in my field of work. I know their names but whenever I see them, usually everyday when I'm done with my work. I feel to anxious to shout their names in fear I somehow mix them up. But at least now I know what causes it.
@@jansen7640 It’s good that you’re aware of yourself and are trying to recognize people. Just don’t stress yourself out about it. Everyone you’re associated with (family & close friends) should know about it for safety reasons just incase. Keep up the great work, though! Hopefully, you figure out ways to remember someone :) I know everything I just said is jumbled up, but it’s because I just wanted to tell you that you’re doing great
Wow!! I seriously cried when I saw this, a bunch of emotions came over. When the older woman said "I thought I was stupid".. I always thought this myself. I was always made to believe I was and have people think I'm stuck up and offend them when I can't remember them. I feel horrible for it but that's just the way I am. I now tell them "I like you a lot, think you're (kind, beautiful, unique, etc.) just please keep in mind that I'm like dory from the kids movie If i see you later I might not recognize you at all, you'd have to remind me or please don't get offended if I can't remember." They give me a funny face like they don't believe me 😒😞 I never could put a name in it just thought this that was a way of coping with it.. thank you so much for this video. 😍
@@chuntr Bruh no it's not ADHD is more than not being able to recall names and being unable to recall names sometimes it's normal a lot and I mean a lot of people have experience it even me
Amelia Lopez I have no idea where people come up with that number tbh. But I DO suspect its more common than "official reports" would indicate (whatever that might be) as it is QUITE easy to just pass this off as "I'm just bad at remembering people" (do note: there's a SUBTLE different between being bad at remember and being bad at seeing...just a subtle one). IDK, at least in my case I had no idea, searched around for YEARS without telling anyone because i thought that I was merely just someone who had bad memory or poor social skills or something.
I teach adults. Very embarrassing when I don't recall them from day to day. For me, taking a photo & studying their faces before class is a great help.
I recognized the faces just as easy upside down. Bad example. Interesting video, though. I don't know anyone with the full condition, but I do know a couple of people who have at least a little trouble with faces.
Yeah, I recognized all the faces except for the last one, because I have never seen or met this woman. And, I do pretty well with recognizing people just by their eyes (there was a puzzle w/celebrity eyes in a magazine some time ago). But then, I pick up on faces in movies all the time-drives my husband crazy. So, maybe I am hypersensitive. I can do the same thing with voices-pick up in several sentences whose voices in all those Pixar/Disney animated movies.
yep bad example, i thought it was easy too. but i guess they were trying to make you have to look twice at certain features or something to understand how someone with "face blindness" would have to, or to make the point that they see the features but can't put it together in recognition? or it just doesn't get filed the same way in memory like joan said.
After an auto accident resulting in a Traumatic Head Injury (TBI), I was having trouble remembering names, best friends, family, my dogs,... then I realized after a few years that I was dealing with Face Blindness. Not only did people get angry at me, they told me I was faking it. How can one over come this illness without severe depression and PTSD? Have compassion for us, learn more, help us to help ourselves.
Hello, I’m from Philippines, I was trying to make a story with character having prosopagnosia and it was originally about the person with PTSD, depression and suicidal thoughts due to an unfortunate incident.I am doing my research regarding the true to life experiences of people who are experiencing this and I think it will be a good way to make people aware about this condition and be kind enough to understand. I actually had cancer last year and have been advocating for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health since then. I pray for the healing of your heart and mind. You deserve love and you are worth it. :)
I'm face blind. I used to think everyone had it until one day I recognized my friends voice on a crowded bus and he asked how I recognized him as his appearance changed over the years and we barely had past interactions. I told him it was his voice and tone that identified him. He was startled and confused as the bus was very loud and we were many seats apart. I've also noticed since then not many people can recognize me by voice alone. Via guess who covering their eyes
I can't remember people's names or faces. I honestly remember people by their hair or two front teeth. I see people and they say hi, and I have no idea who they are. :/ My parents say it's a part of my brain that's underdeveloped and it runs in our family. But I recognize my family and some friends.
I have face blindness ( but not as bad as these people) but I’m even worse with names. I can usually recognise a person if I see them where I first met them. I rarely remember their names, even if they’ve told me multiple times. If I see them somewhere else I either won’t recognise them or I will think there’s something familiar but won’t know what it is. Face masks have made this worse as I rely on people smiling/ recognising me first. It’s getting worse with age and I must come across as very ignorant. I have to really get to know a person and then find something that stands out to recognise them. Ironically I’m good at reading expressions to know what they are feeling
What about knowing the face but not being able to put a name to it? Cause it just happened to me right while watching this it took like a couple of minutes to remember tom cruise's name all i could remember was mission impossible lol
Living with prosopagnisa is difficult And often embarrassing. Watching a movie is nearly impossible because the characters blend into each other. And the fear of trying to recognize your child lost in a grocery store is terrifying.
I have this problem (not as bad as the people in this clip) and it's led to some embarrassing situations. To me, most people just don't look that distinctive and fall into a finite number of categories.
"No one ever brings it up?" I was made fun of for not recognizing people at one of my jobs a long time ago. How can people work as teachers and doctors and have no one bring it up?
well i for one believed until not that long ago that no one could recall faces, you think everyone has the same world view as you, the same stimulus as you, it wasnt until i started talking about how i experiance the world that i saw just how...different it is for others, bymy reasoning most humans seem blind, i dont use my eyes to find things i focus on hearing and smell, both senses that is excellent in in my case but seeing how my friends sense of smell and hearing is so much more limited then mine it is...strange, so you take things for granted and dont speak about it since you think it is like that for everyone
I recently just finishes reading "Holding up the Universe" by Jennifer Niven. It was really amazing. It was centred around this boy called Jack, who had face blindness. I really loved it, a fabulous book.
I'm a super recognizer, I think. I was able to name all of the people when they were upside down, instantly. I couldn't name her daughter or the older guy on the bottom left, but only because I truly don't know who they are. I can see someone in a movie and, in 2 seconds, say "that's the girl who was in Mighty Ducks 2. Don't you see it?" And the people around me are like, "No. I don't." I google things like this all the time and I'm always right about it.
I met someone last week at a party, I introduced myself and said nice to meet you, he said oh we met several weeks back at so and so's place. I said oh yeah right, of course. But honestly, I kept glancing at them and had zero recollection of meeting him or his wife. I usually work hard to avoid those introductions for this exact reason. It's happened to me countless times in my life. I hate gatherings because I'm always like, gee do I know that person, have we met and then I avoid them so it won't be weird. And then people generally think I'm mean or unsocial or angry or stuck up or whatever because I avoid these situations. I don't have this nearly as bad as that first guy. But it's real. I have a hard time keeping track of who's who in movies, I once couldn't recognize my own roommate at a train station, not until she started talking then I put her voice to her face and knew who she was. People close to me though it's usually not a problem. But I do use clues like voice a lot and the way someone walks. But people I only kind of know, out of context it can be hard.
It's easier for me to recognize people I don't see a lot, like pictures of famous people. But with people I've seen all the time, especially daily like my mom, it's impossible.
I really appreciate that they didn't have a graphic of a person without a face. That's never been the issue. The upside down faces are a much better representation. Like, you know it's upside down and that it's a face, but it's hard to put the person into context.
i think i have this...sort of, this sounds like the extreme version of what i have. i can't recognize people i know too but after while it all comes to me. the problem is in public i go pass people i know and after while when i'm meters away i realize i have just passed someone i know. i feel stupid and awkward, and i just keep on pretending i didn't see them. it is very rude. i pass them their eyes locked on me and sometime ago i used to go to the person looking at me and ask them if we know each other or something. but 90% of the time they are strangers. so i dont go asking people if we know each other anymore.
In high school there were these two girls who both had long curly blonde hair. I never saw them in the same room, and I always thought it was the same person, however, when I would ask their name, sometimes it would be one name and some times it would be another name. But I mix up names all the time, so I always just assumed that I had it wrong and then I tried to commit the new name to memory. Eventually I realized that there were two names being given, so I concluded that this long haired girl was messing with me, finding it amusing that I couldn't get her name correct and that I asked it so often. After over a month of thinking this, I saw both of them in the same room side by side and had to apologies. Seeing their faces next to one another, there really wasn't any similarity, but I had no clue.
Can they understand if a person is attractive or not? Like, do they feel that a face is attractive or less attractive to them? I’m so intrigued by this
For example when looking at upside down faces I can kinda see which ones are more attractive because of things like wrinkles, etc, but I cannot really perceive “beauty” or attractiveness. That’s why I’m curious about this
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.
"Missed Connections"..... I wonder how many people I have upset.... I have some tools though. If somebody acts like they know me, I say "whats up buddy?" "hows it going"? "How've you been?"... Acting familiar.... Or I wave, to people that may be looking at somebody behind me. I'm a good pretender, then I pick up on voices, voice patterns, or subject. Deduction, deduction, deduction.... Glad I have a steel trap memory for names and numbers.
until they talk to you and you have no idea who they are, i am just glad my high school had me talk about how it was like being me, and i brought up my faceblindness
I use this video in my class. One of my students said, "the only way I can relate to this is when I had my leg in a boot. I had my leg still, but couldn't use it." So sad!!
I am faceblind but I can recognise a lot of famous people because I remember pictures I've seen extremely well. I have a house filled with pitures from family also :) but a new picture makes me look a few times...
I have this problem. its not really bad as these people have .. i can only reconize 2 people right off the bat. i meet them 2 years ago. honestly it freaked me out. only my friend and his mom. not his 1/2brother.. otherwise I can only composite, just by how they have their hair, sound of their voice, what they wear. walk. as said in the video. not very accurate. .
I would equate it to differentiating the facial characteristics of a dog or a cat or a Sparrow for that matter. yeah they have individual differences but they hard to recognize.
i’ve been describing facial blindness and not recognizing people, an inability to picture faces in my head, seeing blank slates of faces in every dream, and scaring myself when i look in the mirror becuase i don’t know who i am it’s like i am an alien to myself, since i was 5 years old. turns out i’m on the autism spectrum. scary stuff.
This is basically me, but with math. I could learn how to figure out an equation, but give it to me to solve, and I have difficulty with it. Ask me to do it an hour later, and I've completely forgotten the steps.
This is kinda heartbreaking. I hadn't heard of face blindness until one of the characters in a DS game called 999 was revealed to have it. One of the puzzles involved having to match faces to boxes so the character just immediately gave up. Then another game, Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice, had a character who routinely wrote down physical attributes of everyone he met was revealed to have it.
You think people would pretend to not recognize their family members or their daughters. There are people that actually have this disorder and it can make their lives a lot harder for them and you think that their doing it to make them look or feel "special". Get over yourself and stop thinking you have everything figured out because you think this is a fake. You have NO IDEA what disorders, conditions and diseases are out there; that people don't even realize are real.
I've got the same problem but I start recognizing people if I meet them 2 or 3 times. I spent the whole day with someone and I couldn't recognize the guy the next week. It feels so weird. Usually girls are easier to remember because of the different hairstyles.
I had a professor with face blindness so I tried to sneak late into the classroom often. She always knew it was me... Always. Guess it is because of who I am. I'm not particularly religious, yet many people pray to me. Must be why.
My mum is very good with faces, She recognize all the relatives and my dads relatives and even my old classmates parents and siblings. My dad are not so good and he have a mild dyslexia, maybe it is connected. I had a moment when I met a person in school and he started to talk to me as he knew me, I remember his voice and also that I have seen him before but could not point out where. He is not a student in the school. I first thought he was at a big party I also was at, but no, I met him at a different location.
