Aside from being an inconsiderate and rude jerk, it turns out there is some science to why we tend to forget people's names. And all that science just points back to one thing: we don't care enough to remember.

Memory expert Jim Kwik, is quick to point out that not remembering names is a networking no-no.

It communicates that we don’t care or we are not interested or they are not important, and after that it doesn’t matter what you say to somebody. We know that when we remember someone’s name, it’s the sweetest sound to the person’s ear. That’s why it’s so important to be able to do that.

One of the reasons we tend to forget names is because of the Baker/baker paradox:

If I tell you I’m a baker, I’m providing information about what I do and how I spend my time. But if I say my name is Baker, it has no mental links and is vulnerable to forgetting. After all, names are completely arbitrary and hold no specific information in them.

Or the other reason is because you haven't met this guy:


Because would you dare get it wrong or even forget it?

So the best way to get someone to remember your name is to get them to fear you... like Heisenberg.