It can be difficult to remember the names and faces of everyone you meet, especially if you just meet someone for a few minutes at a party. What's the most graceful way to handle running into an acquaintance when the person doesn't remember you?
Dear Lizzie and Daniel,
Imagine you're at a social gathering. I'm thinking the opening of an art exhibition. You spot a vague acquaintance walk up to them and say "hi" and then they don't recognize who you are. What happens next is that you have to remind the person by telling them who you are or where you met. Either they know you right away or it takes a while but whatever the case everything from there on is awkward and uncomfortable. I would like to ask you how to handle this kind of situation. How can I be graceful about it? It doesn't bother me at all that they don't remember me but how do I make this clear in kind way so that we can continue the conversation?
Kind Regards,
Hildy
The answer:
This question really gets to the heart of good etiquette because ultimately it's about making other people feel comfortable.
What has potential to make someone feel uncomfortable is your sense of discomfort, so in some ways it's your ability to manage your own discomfort about not being recognized. You're the one here who theoretically has been offended and what might be awkward for that other person is that you're taking offense.
It's really up to you to be smooth and to not make it an issue. The best way to do that is to move on quickly by having a conversation topic ready. This could be any small talk topic that you like to use when you meet someone.
