Why are people so strange?

I’m an American from the South. I try to smile at people whenever I make eye contact. Most people smile back. The ones I’ve found that usually don’t are the ones that I know who have decided they’re too good for me. I don’t worry about them.

I think lots of people don’t acknowledge others because they are either shy or too busy to stop and talk.

It’s Just life huni, get over it, I’m 17 and I’ve realised it. People wana be like that let them… their lose!

It can get you down but just move away from that, Dont let it get you down

Aswell there might be good reasons why a person has ignored somebody?? Who knows!

Floss. Yes I think they are embarrassed by the facts they may not recollect. But in the workplace sometimes? I don’t get it my husband thinks it’s due to temporary drunkness or some drug problem. We don’t know why.LOL :)

Dear mamk, This is not just specific to North America…this happens across the board. Like stated most of the time they do not remember who you are and if you met. Other times is they do but cannot remember the circumstances you met under or your name. In other countries you do not speak until spoken to and you can see where this can be a dilemma when you are meeting new people. So when you do meet someone the first time always say your name…Hi my name is …and it is nice to meet you. It will be easier for them to remember who you are. Sue…good luck

The various places I’ve lived have had different answers to the problem. In Cumbria (the remote north of England) everyone said ‘hello’ to everyone else in the villages, regardless of how little they knew them, or even if they were seeing them for the first time. Even the teenagers smiled and said ‘hello’ to me the first time I turned up! I loved that.

In France you greet everyone in the shop or space you walk into - the doctor’s, the post office, the hair dresser etc. You just give a general ‘bonjour’ to everyone as you go in. I like that too. BUT YOU DON’T SMILE! It’s taking me ages to get used to that - it’s not a sign of unfriendliness, it’s just a cultural difference. I think maybe we Brits smile more because we don’t make physical contact when we greet people (the French either kiss or shake hands all the time). So, as we aren’t touching the people we greet, we put all our welcome into our facial expressions.

I don’t know if this helps, but it does add to the information you’re gathering.

I’m not American, but sometimes I have what might be the opposite problem. I see someone I think I might recognise, I smile at them, they smile back and then I can’t remember if I really met them once or if I’m imagining it. So I’m shy (in public places - shopping centres, for example) of speaking to people I think I might recognise, in case I make a fool of myself with someone I’ve never met. Is it possible that the people you meet have the same embarassing problem of poor recollection of faces combined with acute shyness?