Lucy Sullivan

Yeah, exactly. This is what J.J. Goode, the guy from the coffee shop, told me that he tries to do, too.

Yeah, exactly. This is what J.J. Goode, the guy from the coffee shop, told me that he tries to do, too.

So a couple of months ago, I spent the morning with him at the coffee shop and he was going around introducing me to all of his friends and telling me how he tries to identify them here.

So a couple of months ago, I spent the morning with him at the coffee shop and he was going around introducing me to all of his friends and telling me how he tries to identify them here.

So he told me that he tries really hard to find these cues. You know, it's still hard for him. And he never wants a repeat of the Missy incident. So his solution is to just treat every person that walks in as if they are his friend.

So he told me that he tries really hard to find these cues. You know, it's still hard for him. And he never wants a repeat of the Missy incident. So his solution is to just treat every person that walks in as if they are his friend.

And that morning I was there, JJ was surrounded by people. Like, you'd think he was the mayor or the owner of this place. I was like, did you tell all these people to show up because you knew I was coming? And he was like, nope. So he really has made all these friends, even in spite of the face blindness thing. And I just think that's such a lovely way to live.

And that morning I was there, JJ was surrounded by people. Like, you'd think he was the mayor or the owner of this place. I was like, did you tell all these people to show up because you knew I was coming? And he was like, nope. So he really has made all these friends, even in spite of the face blindness thing. And I just think that's such a lovely way to live.

JJ and Missy are great friends now, despite the incident. You can find them working and chatting at the coffee shop most days. They get dinner every once in a while, and their spouses and kids have become friends, too. But their story could have ended very differently.

JJ and Missy are great friends now, despite the incident. You can find them working and chatting at the coffee shop most days. They get dinner every once in a while, and their spouses and kids have become friends, too. But their story could have ended very differently.

We've all had these experiences where we don't recognize someone right away or someone doesn't recognize us. It can be embarrassing and awkward. But the split-second assumptions that we make about why, that they're aloof or that we said something that offended them or that maybe we just aren't memorable, might be wrong. Faces matter. But it all comes back to what's in our heads.

We've all had these experiences where we don't recognize someone right away or someone doesn't recognize us. It can be embarrassing and awkward. But the split-second assumptions that we make about why, that they're aloof or that we said something that offended them or that maybe we just aren't memorable, might be wrong. Faces matter. But it all comes back to what's in our heads.

Yes, that's me.

Yes, that's me.

This has been great. Thanks, Malcolm. Provisionist History is produced by me, Lucy Sullivan, with Ben Natafafri and Nina Byrd-Lawrence. Our editor is Karen Chikurji. Fact-checking by Kate Furby. Original scoring by Luis Guerra. Scoring, mixing, and mastering on this episode by Echo Mountain. Production support from Luke Lamond. Our executive producer is Jacob Smith.

This has been great. Thanks, Malcolm. Provisionist History is produced by me, Lucy Sullivan, with Ben Natafafri and Nina Byrd-Lawrence. Our editor is Karen Chikurji. Fact-checking by Kate Furby. Original scoring by Luis Guerra. Scoring, mixing, and mastering on this episode by Echo Mountain. Production support from Luke Lamond. Our executive producer is Jacob Smith.

Special thanks to Daphne Chen, Sarah Nix, and Greta Cohn, as well as the many people who shared their time and expertise with me for this episode. Brad Duchesne, Bruno Rossian, Sarah Bate, Erica Long, Heather Sellers, Lexi Malkin, Vivek Rao, and Chris Cochran.

Special thanks to Daphne Chen, Sarah Nix, and Greta Cohn, as well as the many people who shared their time and expertise with me for this episode. Brad Duchesne, Bruno Rossian, Sarah Bate, Erica Long, Heather Sellers, Lexi Malkin, Vivek Rao, and Chris Cochran.

If you suspect you might have a problem recognizing faces and you want to get involved with the research they're doing at Dr. Joe DeGutis' lab, go to faceblind.org. And if you're curious about your own facial recognition abilities, visit our show notes and take the tests we have linked there. I'm Lucy Sullivan.

If you suspect you might have a problem recognizing faces and you want to get involved with the research they're doing at Dr. Joe DeGutis' lab, go to faceblind.org. And if you're curious about your own facial recognition abilities, visit our show notes and take the tests we have linked there. I'm Lucy Sullivan.