'Why aren't people called numbers...morning 62, how are you 71?' blog discussion

ThinkingOfLinking

I had this boss who used to know all our names and our payroll numbers....given that my payroll number was 5 digits long, it was impressive.

SpiritofAfrica

Your born with a number and you die with a number! at the end of the day the number you have got to look out for is number 1!

jkc_2

I have a terrible memory all round. numbers names its gone in 3 seconds like a gold fish.
what was I saying?
any way, theres one number that keeps cropping up regularly I noticed it the first time I moved away from home, it seems to be on mailing lists, water bills and now my online banking. is it me or has any one else noticed this strange phenonema.

Doooford

Now this may or may not be true for you, and I don't mean to sound harsh (and actually it isn't my opinion, although it fits for me).
Once I read somewhere that the reason that some people aren't great with names is due to the fact that actually they have no interest in the person they are talking with. I found this out as I used to be terrible at remembering names, but had and still do have an extremely strong head for figures. After initially being quite sceptical I spent a few weeks looking at who I remembered or didn't and then put them under the microscope. It turned out to be bang on, that I actually wasn't making any effort to remember names of people who didn't interest me or that I felt may be useful to me in the future.
I now seem to overcome the problem, but it involves really forcing an interest into the person and then forcing it into my brain. It certainly rings true for me that numbers just stick in my head as I have a genuine thirst for them. Names on the other hand just don't have the same appeal

JimmyTheWig

jkc wrote: »

any way, theres one number that keeps cropping up regularly I noticed it the first time I moved away from home, it seems to be on mailing lists, water bills and now my online banking. is it me or has any one else noticed this strange phenonema.

I don't follow you.
Unless you mean your house number?

LabLover

Just a thought alot of people have mentioned that the numbers could get quite long , but I think it depends how you say it. Im addicted to the new version of the prisoner on tv. Its been slated in every review but I LOVE it , anyhoo on that show they say the numbers in blocks for instance 1612 ( one thousand six hundred and twelve ) is said as sixteen twelve , alot easier to say and not as long. I must admit im a numbers person , I can remember mobile numbers that family members had years ago ,but Im not too bad with names either. I have a really normal name but spelled very different ..... (long story) and it is so frustrating when people get it wrong after I continualy correct them. A few people have even had the cheek to spell my name back to me over the phone and say " are you sure thats correct?" ????:mad: I think I know my own name

smk77

Maybe 923931 should speak to 13175 about updating all our usernames to reflect our MSE number? I wonder how we'd get on recognising each other on MSE!

Have a good day..
114346

keet83

Doooford wrote: »

Now this may or may not be true for you, and I don't mean to sound harsh (and actually it isn't my opinion, although it fits for me).
Once I read somewhere that the reason that some people aren't great with names is due to the fact that actually they have no interest in the person they are talking with. I found this out as I used to be terrible at remembering names, but had and still do have an extremely strong head for figures. After initially being quite sceptical I spent a few weeks looking at who I remembered or didn't and then put them under the microscope. It turned out to be bang on, that I actually wasn't making any effort to remember names of people who didn't interest me or that I felt may be useful to me in the future.
I now seem to overcome the problem, but it involves really forcing an interest into the person and then forcing it into my brain. It certainly rings true for me that numbers just stick in my head as I have a genuine thirst for them. Names on the other hand just don't have the same appeal

This can be true to a certain respect, however your memory is much more complicated than people think, different parts of your brain are used for different memories. its not names that you remember, its words, the same as you call a banana a banana and an orange an orange; its the name of something. Some foods or objects that i come across at times, i cant remember the name of it.
interest can have a big influence on remembering names, however my interest in photography is useless when i study photographers, i remember their work but not their name, which was very annoying whilst i studied during my uni years

SmileyG_2

thebigbosh wrote: »

And some famous folk:
Johnny Five
Seven of Nine
Ben 10
118

Any others?

Joe 90, but that's for nerds.....

SmileyG

kb92830

I think numbers would be good, just imagine if 34 and 35 got together, as a couple you get ? answers (and fun is not the one I'm after) on a postcard.