[nabs-l] Feeling faces: a myth or true?

[Arielle Silverman]

Absolute myth. Human brains are programmed to recognize faces
visually. The details that people recognize visually cannot be easily
perceived by touch. To me all faces feel the same, except maybe
whether or not the person has facial hair. It's ridiculous to think
that blind people should feel faces to recognize people or gain
information about what they look like visually.
I do have mental images of what my close family and friends look like,
but that has more to do with body shape, height and weight info that I
get from hugging them not feeling their faces. Even those mental
images are pretty vague. The best way I can tell people apart is by
their voice.
Arielle

On 9/8/14, Alana Leonhardy via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> There's something very personal about putting your hands on someone else's
> face. I have never had the desire to do so, and haven't met a blind person
> who has. I have, however, encountered sighted strangers who thought I was
> odd for not warning to touch them.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Sep 8, 2014, at 11:48, justin williams via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> I don't do his often except with a woman; not even with my parents.
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Karl Martin
>> Adam via nabs-l
>> Sent: Monday, September 08, 2014 12:46 PM
>> To: Marissa Tejeda; National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Feeling faces: a myth or true?
>>
>> I haven't done this either--except with people I'm dating and like my
>> parents.  It does seem to be a common stereotype and something that
>> happens
>> in a lot of literature and movies.
>> Perhaps some people who went blind later in life and think knowing what
>> people's faces are like is important do this?
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Marissa Tejeda via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> To: Nabsl <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> Date sent: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 05:25:08 -0700
>> Subject: [nabs-l] Feeling faces: a myth or true?
>>
>> Hi guys,
>>
>> So, for a long time I've been want to know this, but never got around to
>> asking.  I, personally, don't feel faces to know what people look like.
>> Do
>> people really feel faces? How can it give someone a picture if they feel
>> the
>> face? Is this just a movie and a myth, or reality and true?
>>
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