Hidden Talents

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:23:00 -0500
thought-experiments

There's just no non-creepy way to call a stranger by name and explain, "I recognize you from photos you've been tagged in on Facebook." I make this mistake once in a while (most recently last week at Involvement Fest) and I always regret the words as soon as I say them. But I'm especially prone to falling into this trap, because I have a hidden talent: I'm extraordinarily good at recognizing faces--even over time and across media--and connecting them with names I've seen in print. If I've ever read your Wikipedia page and you walk into the restaurant where I'm eating dinner, I'm very likely to spot you and know your name. Hopefully I'll have the wisdom not to tell you so!

It took me a long time to discover this talent, partly because it lay outside the realm of my courses and exams. I never had the chance to get an "A" in face-spotting. I believe all of us are walking around with these hidden abilities, which make us more interesting people and contribute to the strength and diversity of our community. We'd make a fine band of superheroes, if we could ever get organized around our invisible abilities. So let's get started: What's your hidden talent?