Face Blindness, part 2

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.

[silverlaughterLOL]

It would be really cool if there was a show that stared someone who struggled with face recognition, but he was so good at detecting voices, body language, and object identification that he made a great detective or something.

[seal]

Could super recognizers be used to identify missing children? Perhaps they could be exposed to many missing children's pictures and if they were ever to see them on the street or wherever, they would recognize and be able to bring them to safety. Especially since changes due to age do not seem to phase the ability.

[amb]

I wanted to hear more from the lady doctor with face blindness and how she goes from day to day not being able to remember faces and just going off charts

[seventhofearth]

I'm face blind so it is so interesting to see a report about it and other people with it. I've even gotten an email from the expert at Harvard featured in this video, Brad Duchain I think his name was, so it was neat that I got to see what he looks like even though I'm not going to remember lol. 

[MartinFracker]

At 4:30 the "grotesque" face upside down still creeped me the fuck out.  When it was turned right side up though, I actually jumped though because it was so appalling. 

[jintziejth]

I don't recognize faces or remember names easily, so I smile at everyone. People are scared sometimes but I explain I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I say I'm sorry but I have to do my name thing, what is your name again? People are very kind, some people smile when they see me and tell me what their names are and where I know them from. I'm always so happy when they do that.

[QueenBeeTV]

I have a little face blindness. When I saw Dallas Buyer's Club, there were a few actors in the movie (friends of Matthew McConnaughey) who all had light Caucasian skin, short reddish brown hair, blue eyes and mustaches. I got confused in the movie because I thought they were all the same person. I was wondering how this one person kept changing clothes so quickly and changing locations so quickly. It seemed impossible and then it dawned on me that they were different actors. I will have to watch the movie again at home where I can pause it and figure out differences between the actors. I have learned to be really good at noticing little distinct features on people's faces to tell them apart, or their clothes or hairstyle or way of walking. Many of my friends dress in distinctive or strange manners or have tattoos and this might be why. And I always notice if someone changes their hairdo or hair color. I guess I also pay way more attention to voice, height and body shape.

Another film I saw was a silent film that was in black and white. There were four English Caucasian male actors in it. They all had dark hair and dark eyes and mustaches and the same hairdo. I had to stop watching the film because I could not follow along.

 I just recently realized that this is why I never remember people's names when I first meet them. It is because I am using all my brain power to notice their features so I can "recognize" them and so I don't register their names. But what is a name without a face?

I took the face blindness test and scored lower than average. And when I was a teen, and would get high, I couldn't recognize anyone. I was at a concert and kept going up to people thinking they were my friends who I had gotten separated from. Well, my friends finally found me, and in the meantime, I had made a lot of new friends. This experience, along with just watching part 2 ot the CBS face blindness video leads me to believe that the problem has to do with getting certain neurotransmitters to the area since all the people with face blindness, except for the tumor woman, had structurally sound parts of that brain. They just must not be getting the correct type of innervation to the area. Because it seems for me that my face blindness waxes and wanes. And it has never been so bad as though few times I got high as a teenager. 

 I recognize my mom primarily from her hairdo (long braid in back) and her body size and shape (petite apple shape) and her clothing style (athletic). My mom is caucasian and blond with blue eyes and a bit older. I was at Safeway the other day and saw a young thirty something hispanic woman with the same body shape and height as my mom, and she had athletic shoes and jogging pants and a hoodie and a ball cap like my mom wears, plus she had a long black braid. She had brown skin and dark brown eyes, but my brain kept telling me that she was my mom. That is how much my brain pays attention to hair style and clothing and body size. When I think of this woman, she and my mom seem like the same person.

[mmedeuxchevaux]

I wish this episode had explored how those with face blindness DO connect with and recognize others - through their voices, demeanors, clothing, body shape, etc. And how have blind people managed? I'd like to know the coping mechanisms. If I had the condition, I might tell someone who I should recognize but don't that I have face blindness. I wonder how Brad Pitt got it.

[ameliaHuang-fc]

Back when I was in High school (all girls) we had a security guard who was extremely good at recognizing faces. One day after school, a group of girls walked in at the front gate and was yelled to a halt. It turned out he recognized that one of the girls was not from our school and tried to sneak in😂😂 We had like maybe nearly 3000 students, by the way, and not to mention that there would be new comers every year.

[wendym]

I am not face blind but I have always had poor short term memory and it takes me longer to remember people’s names and faces, all my life. I’m actually better as I’ve gotten older because of being more aware of this. I most often recognize a face but not sure where I’ve seen them or who they are.

[Robinringe-ppjh]

Ive had it most of my life. When I start a job I write down the name and then personality traits body size clothing preferences. Height hairy arms or no hair on arms tattoos.. Anything to be able to call them by name. I also have auditory processing disorder.. Makes life difficult. I had a lot of head injuries as a child from 12 weeks to 18 years old. From a very abusive parent.

[blackngoldcuttlefish]

the number of people in these comments who think they are super-recognizers because they knew George Clooney and Madonna...stop. Lol. They said it was extremely rare for someone to be like the woman in this video. Those celebrity pictures were easy (if you're not face blind). But would you be able to remember what the neighbor who lived three houses down from you when you were 6 looks like? probably not...

[LeeLid]

I feel so bad for that little boy. It must be so difficult especially for a child who should be making friends.

[omgeodude]

See, this is interesting! I have decent facial recognition, especially with celebrities and my family, but I seem to categorize faces differently from the people I know. The arch of a brow, the thickness of the eyelids, the shape of the jaw/chin, the way the mouth moves... I can put those together to recognize a face. I used to go by hair also, but that caused problems when people changed their hairstyle. But then I found out my friends didn't have to jump through all those hoops! How goofy.

[drmantistobboggangonzodr]

that super recognizer lady would probably get a lot of people who got a stalker vibe from her, especially now when people might think she was on Facebook obsessing over them, because who would notice or remember things like you walked by me 5 years ago and we said good morning... ugh that sucks.

[madiibazard]

I probably have a mild form of face blindness. Like, I can picture faces in my mind and recognize the faces of people I know really well, but sometimes people approach me who know me and I have no idea who they are. I recognize people more by their style, clothing, and hair. It's really hard for me to follow the plots of movies and shows, because I can't keep track of who the characters are.

[anitarose]

I remember a story about how babies can see extreme facial subtleties. And how as we get to about 2, this quality diminishes to what is a normal recognition ability.

[JackOusley]

I find it hard to believe that face blindness is the only manifestation of what’s going on with these folks, seems like there just has to be some other issues that go along with it. Very interesting.

[Alamander]

I'm face blind and also have ADD. Any known connection?

It was interesting learning people use the same techniques as me to identify people by prominent features, posture, gate, body language, etc.

[Bepetoni]

Oh.Oh my.I think I have mild stage of face blindness(or how do I call it?).I can't even really recognise my classmates, sometimes-my father.But I somehow knew that faces turned upside down are so very wrong.Ha-ha.Weird.