I think I have an idea why I have always had problem with recognising people's faces. I mean, it is actually quite obvious now when I think about it: I didn't see them as people but objects, entities, bodies.. I mean, how many of us would be able to recognise best friend on the basis of their hand? The face to me was not much different. And so I had problem recognising even my first boyfriend by his face (never told anyone about it though). It is just that the human component was missing. People remember things much easier when there is an emotional component involved. If seeing someone's face was connected with emotions of bonding and intimacy then it leaves a deep mark. Even seeing another person as someone with their own feelings and emotions is already the emotional component I was missing. Otherwise it is just a photo. I have read that there was a study trying to evaluate how well recognising people on photos work for people who don't know them, like when checking the passport. The results were that it works quite bad. I can definitely relate.

Today I saw a guy in the elevator and I thought "a guy", and then just spontaneously I realised he is tired and a bit down, and maybe deep in his thoughts, and suddenly I could just feel his mood, and then I looked at his face again and it was a different face, it started to have meaning to me. He was like no other person. Before it had no meaning, like the animal's face, like any other person's face. And now it had a meaning. That was the moment when I thought: wow, without this empathy component everyone would have as bad problems with remembering faces as I do.

I would not see people as people, but as entities, even after having talked to them. Interesting.. Recently I start thinking of people as people first, only later "a boss", "a student", "a team lead". Much healthier attitude I guess..