I have ADHD diagnosed in my 30’s, and can’t seem to remember names even seconds after they are said. Sometimes I try so hard that I can’t follow the conversation because I’m focusing on repeating their name over and over so I don’t forget.
Inevitably I focus back on the conversation and the person’s name is lost.
Texting their name to me tends to work, but others tend to find this odd/annoying/off-putting if I halt an organic conversation to text myself their name. And can even find it quite disrespectful.
So, Title: Have any of you “cracked” how to remember names in active conversation?
My personal strategy is to associate their name as fast as possible to information about them in my mind. Maybe try and slip in a few tangent questions about what I know about them so far and use their names a couple of times in the conversation. The rationale is that memory is that huge network and that if the information isn’t attached to anything it just falls off. Even if it doesn’t work absolutely every time, it’s a good attitude to adopt anyways.
This works pretty well for me. Even if it’s something simple like words it rhymes with or sounds like.