My wife and I are some weird combination of this. She’s a local doctor and we routinely see people that recognize her that she can’t acknowledge first.
After volunteering multiple days in the lunchroom at my kid’s elementary school last year and working in a high school media center this year I’m a bit “that friend” but in a more creepy way because I know everyone’s kids, but not their parents.
My friend says I act like this.
I read a book called “how to win friends and influence people” and it completely changed my life for the better once I started taking the book literally.
Everybody tends to be selfish and think of themselves (not in a bad way). If you play into this and learn what people are interested in, you instantly become interesting to that person.
“Hey Ricky, how’s your hot wheels collection! Get any new classics?” True story, different name. That’s just the butcher at the grocery store I frequent. He’ll tell me all about his latest hot wheels collection, and then I get a discount, we both win. I’ve made a friend, and influenced him to give me a deal.
But how do you even know about his Hot wheels collection? It’s not like I ask all store clerks for their hobby.