For heaven's sake, if you don't know someone's name, just pretend you do. Do that thing everyone else does, where you vaguely say, "Nice to see you!" and make weak eye contact.
Mindy Kaling's book, "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?", touches on the awkwardness of social interactions, particularly when it comes to remembering people's names. She humorously suggests that in situations where you can't recall a name, it's best to keep up appearances by acting as if you do. This helps to navigate social norms while avoiding the embarrassment that comes from forgetting someone important.
Kaling advocates for a casual, friendly approach to interactions, urging people to use generic greetings like "Nice to see you!" while maintaining a degree of eye contact. This allows individuals to blend into social settings without drawing attention to their memory lapses, reinforcing the idea that everyone experiences these moments of social anxiety.
