[shayway]

As someone who's just terrible with names, I hate that this is how people interpret it. There are plenty of people who have had a big impact on my life whose names have slipped - and, plenty of inconsequential people whose names stuck for no good reason. It has very little to do with how much that person mattered to me.

Not saying your overall point doesn't stand, but at least for some people remembering a name isn't a consistent indicator of their impact.

[tkfoss]

same here, names and dates elude me. I can't even remember some of family names and dates, can't remember almost any of the schoolmates names, let alone surnames, but I do remember conversations, moments together etc.