Prosopagnosia - Tumblr Posts

Long ago, a reader complained that I hadn't described the characters enough in my story, because that reader was unable to visualize the characters' faces. And I thought, "the frick???? who can visualize a FACE?? It's an unknowable void of fleeting movements that indicate emotions?? that's like expecting the author to describe one of those Magic Eye pictures where you cross your eyes and it's a 3-D dolphin or whatever."

that mismatch of expectations did ping me that I was Actually Different, though. I figured out that I have prosopagnosia (faceblindness)! That's a condition that doesn't get much attention, but it uniquely informs my writing. To make up for my poor recognition of faces, I notice other things. People's voices, their silhouettes, their movement patterns and mannerisms, the distinctness of their walking stride, and details like the particular sound their keyring makes.

I think that's part of why I insist on writing stories where non-human characters have a wide variety of sensory experiences. Because what if people saw things differently from each other? What if they had very different brain processes? What then?? How would we address it, huh, humans???

I like Mr. Capgras sooooo much

Mwah mwah mwah

Representation

SQUEALS

Guys it's literally me

I could write so many essays on this song and not get bored, guys I love my song about MEEEE ^_^

I might be face blind and not just regular blind

how come no one is talking about Brilliant Minds?

so there is this new medical drama show called Brilliant minds, but instead of it being the usual high stakes ER medical drama its about a psychology and neurology ward. "its just house md but- " ok I love house md, but also this show is not house md. The characters and tone of the show is too different to house MD. (also as much as I love house MD, this show aged.... poorly. thats the 2000s for ya!)

Things that stand out to me about this show:

it is an actually REALLY GOOD REPRESENTATION ABOUT MENTAL DISORDERS. all of it is somewhat accurate (for tv standards at least) and doesn't jam everyone into one umbrella like seriously, the show goes out of it's way to showcase the struggles of people with mental disorders without focusing too hard on the shock value

EMPATHY. DEAR GOD IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS RARE IN TERMS OF MENTAL HEALTH. For once it is nice having representation for just treating mental patients with RESPECT AND CARE. WE NEED THIS MORE THAN EVER. Too many people just assume the worst with others when they are in a vulnerable state!

The fact the patient isn't fixed by a miracle drug or procedure and is treated with various types of therapy! I have heard too many times people asking if the meds will "fix them yet" when often times mental health struggles needs a ton of time to recover from.

AND how sometimes you just don't know HOW the disorder started, but they still took time to try and fix it regardless of the cause This happens in real life. sometimes you lose your ability to do something and there is no known cause, and its frustrating being hospitalized for it. The fact this show shown some self restraint instead of doing a bullshit "brilliant doctor magically finds out the cause" thing most medical shows do. and last but not least:

The representation for face blindness and childhood mental health issues.

I was born with a few nerodivergent quirks such as having a type of emotional face blindness. this is common with people with ASD and ADHD. I remember growing up accidentally upsetting people, or people thinking I am stupid or a jerk because I didn't know they were upset. I can recognize faces and who people are, but when it comes to emotional expressions its hard for me to get the nuances of. feel free to make fun of me for enjoying this really corny medical drama show, but god damn that first episode just made me cry with the representation for cognitive therapy. the parts about focusing on the smaller parts of the face like the mouth and eyebrows is accurate. Yall are sleeping on this show. cmon!

Calling the acespec community, I have a question for you. I have prosopagnosia, or "face blindness," which means that I can't recognize or really picture faces, especially human ones. This means I experience attraction differently, the only real criteria being "good character design" aka, shape language and color scheme. I've seen an ace person mentioning something called "aesthetic attraction," and I want to know if that's what I experience, and if I should consider myself part of the community.

Drink iced coffee

Panik Attak

I was practicing drawing characters in distress last night after looking at screenshots of N's (From Murder Drones) panic attack in episode 8

I believe he appears distressed

Support a faceblind character artist?

I learned what manly chins look like!

(For any other faceblind artists, the trick is to curve the back tip inwards, the front tip outwards, and then dip the front in a bit before curving it back out for the cheek.)

Support a faceblind character artist and reblog?

VENT POST:

Sick and tired of the "I can't remember a loved one's face, and therefore I should die" trope, where it makes you automatically suicidal or evil to not know what someone dear to you's meat mask looks like.

I have prosopagnosia, or face blindness, and while I get that this trope is associated with grief, it's often executed and handled extremely poorly

An example of this trope handled poorly is in Centaurworld, which, while I love the show, it has an entire musical number where the main character sings about not remembering her best friend's face, and that's her reason for JUMPING OFF A CLIFF-

Of course, she survives, and the rash decision she makes is frowned upon, but it's merely framed as "dying bad" and not "Hey, that doesn't make you a horrible person." It's not even addressed.

My response to that scene is always "Oh well fuck you, guess I'll just go die then"

I am not a bad person for not knowing what my girlfriend, my best friend, or my mother looks like. It doesn't affect how I feel about them, whatever way that may be. I still love my girlfriend and she is still beautiful to me, even if I can't remember why.

I know my disability is rare, but that doesn't make the message of this trope towards people like me any less hurtful. It shouldn't be seen as the obvious thought process to be suicidally depressed or a cold-hearted monster because you don't know what a face looks like.

This goes for blind people, and people with aphantasia as well. We're not evil or shameful. Please find a different way to convey grief and guilt without demonizing a disability