Yesterday I was out shopping and saw somebody I knew. But for a few steps I wasn’t sure. They had 4 kids and a shopping cart in tow. This was not the professional business setting in which we had met several times previously. As we approached I could see their face said the same; visible attempts at putting recognition to my face flashed across theirs.
As humans we have a remarkable ability to match patterns at high speed.
Whatever it is about a face, sound or smell we can often connect it to a past event. Yet in this case physical location also plays a part and facial features are not enough.
I wonder how much we miss for the same reason. Perhaps one thing is different and so our brains never make the connection. The wonder is that sometimes that one thing does make a connection and a marvelous idea is born.