Brad Pitt believes that he suffers from prosopagnosia. This is a neurological disorder in which the brain cannot recognize faces. According to Faceblind.org which studies the condition, it can affect as many as one in fifty people.
He told GQ that the actor at 58 years old has admitted in the past that his memory and recognition of faces is difficult. He admitted that he is ashamed of the condition and stated that he would like to be able to relate with another person.
People can be affected by prosopagnosia in different ways. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, some people are unable to recognize familiar faces, even family members. Some people can’t recognize unknown faces. Others can’t tell the difference between a face and an object.
It can be caused by a stroke, traumatic brain injuries, or neurodegenerative diseases. It can also be congenital, which means it is present at birth. It is most likely that it is the result of a genetic deletion or mutation.
According to NINDS, some children with autism may also experience prosopagnosia.
People with prosopagnosia need to work on “compensatory strategies” for recognizing people. People with this condition may use other means to identify people, such as their voice. NINDS states that recognition of a face is the most effective way to identify it. The condition can also be socially crippling.
The condition can be learned to help people who have suffered a stroke or brain trauma identify others by using other clues.
Others have shared their prosopagnosia experiences.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak stated that he suffers from prosopagnosia in a 2017 interview with The Carousel. He said, “Strange hair, specific clothings, a voice I can recognize.” “Many people have this, but you never know what it is unless it does something extraordinary.”
Jane Goodall, a scientist and conservationist, opened up about her prosopagnosia in “Reason for Hope. A Spiritual Journey.” Goodall stated that she once believed it was because of mental laziness that she couldn’t remember people’s faces.
“I was able to deal with people who were very beautiful, had unusual bone structure or beaky noses. She said that she failed miserably with other faces. “Sometimes, I could tell people were upset if I didn’t immediately recognize them. I know that I was. Because I was embarrassed, it was something I kept to myself.”
Goodall stated that she learned quickly from a friend and her sister that they had similar problems and wrote to a well-known neurologist who provided her with information about prosopagnosia. Even though I now know that I don’t have to feel guilty, it’s still hard to know how to cope. I can’t go around telling everyone that I won’t be able to recognize Adam from Adam the next time they see me. Maybe I should. She wrote it in her book.
