AIBU to expect people to introduce each other?

I've blanked once or twice on the names of people I'm close to, honestly. It might sound ridiculous, and I'm neither shy nor socially awkward, but there's no easy way of glossing over the fact that you've had some kind of temporary brain glitch that means you've forgotten your best friend's name!

Social skills are woeful. It happens a lot. I would never do this.

In theory I agree but in reality I’d literally forget my own mums name in this scenario or I know the name but doubt myself! So I often just hope they’ll introduce themselves to each other - at least then I’ll remember the names

I'd introduce people if I was going to have the conversation for any length of time - perhaps not if it was just a quick hello. I think it can be slightly rude, though, to have a long conversation with someone you've bumped into when you're with someone else.

I agree that social skills are massively in decline. We are a civilisation in rapid decline.

However, the thing about strangers chatting is an issue when it is always a man trying to strike up conversation with a younger woman, and the sense of entitlement he has to her time and attention.
Similar to the way some men tell women to 'smile'.
You know it is pure sexism because these men never try to chat to strange men, or older women, only younger women.
Women used to be socialised to always be 'nice', and sadly many still are, but the tide is turning and more women are now realising they don't need to always be available to random men for conversation.

Of course, strangers should be able to chat as friendly equals, and it is a shame that everyone now has their nose in a phone instead. I see it at bus stops - the whole line of people with faces glued to screens in silence.

That's a good fudge; I'll have to remember that.
Although in this case I was a bit vague even on how I knew the person! I guess I could have said, 'We know each other from various pub nights and parties' or something.

Oh god I'm guilty of this - I was with a friend the other day and bumped into someone I hadnt seen for years. I thought I'd just say hello, exchange a couple of pleasantries then walk off so I didn't introduce them, but then the conversation went on a bit and it became too awkward to suddenly introduce them mid conversation. I am very socially awkward though and often get things like this wrong 😕

Surely it’s possible for the person you are with to at least introduce you though? They might of forgotten the other persons name but surely if you were with them they probably haven’t forgotten yours!?

You’re not being unreasonable but basic social skills are steadily going down the pan - a significant number of people are completely unable to observe even the most simple of social niceties.

You see it on here regularly - a stranger has the temerity to pass the time of day and the poster reacts like they’re being harassed or insulted.

I agree, I was actually out with my friend and our babies recently and she bumped into a lady she knows and they were chatting and I just stood their like a lemon and eventually just went and entertained my baby. It was awkward. I would always say ‘oh this is so and so’

In them situations I'd just say "hi, I'm...".
Would it have been so hard to introduce yourself? It would have saved the awkwardness, your friend may have then realised she forgot/you don't know each other.
I think it's silly to expect everyone to follow some unwritten social rules and leave yourself feeling uncomfortable when they don't and you could have easily rectified it.

I've definitely failed to do it when I have blanked on a name.

It's quite embarrassing to say "yes, I've known you for 3 years but I can't remember for the life of me what your name is."

I know exactly what you mean OP and I've thought the same. Often, if I'm the one left standing there, I'll eventually interject with 'Hi, I'm Jane from yoga.'

Like others, the only time I don't introduce is when I don't know 1 person well and have forgotten their name! I'll then fudge a 'This is Tina from golf and we (gesturing to other person) met dog walking'.

It is a very easy and quick ice-breaker. Always introduce the younger person to the older person and give a brief sentence on how you know them or they know you. They then have an opener.
Mind you, it doesn't always work as planned. I was at a family wedding some years ago and was standing talking to my SIL when the groom's sister came up, introduced herself (fair enough) and then asked us how we knew the couple getting married (I had done a reading at the ceremony). I was somewhat taken aback, but my excellent SIL said "I am x, I am married to the bride's brother and this is y, who is the bride's sister." Clearly we were not interesting enough to strike up a conversation with, as groom's sister moved swiftly on.

Thank you!!
you should run courses

I think someone has definitely said to me once, aren't you going to introduce me?
I didn't mind she wasn't being horrible or anything or saying it in a horrible way (she was my friend obviously)
But it prompted me to to say who they were! 😆

Introduce the lower status person to the higher-status person: ‘Professor Hanrahan, may I introduce my new PhD student, Mary Tilton.’ In work terms, that means introducing the junior to the more senior-ranked person. Socially, the younger person to the older. ‘Granny, this is my friend, Andy. Andy, this is my grandmother, X’ (using whatever form of address your grandmother would expect a younger person she’d just met to use, whether that’s Molly or Professor Hanrahan or whatever.’ If ages, seniority etc aren’t relevant, you introduce the less familiar to the more familiar person.

In the past, men were introduced to a woman,

Yeah definitely, I’d just say a quick “oh this is Jane my friend from work” or whatever but I would also fully expect Jane to still feel awkward because that sort of scenario always is.

This thread has reminded me that I've also on more than one occasion 'introduced' myself to someone who it turned out I knew/had met already
Honestly, I should just keep my mouth shut

In principle I agree it's awkward not to introduce people, but I've been in the excruciating situation of being with a friend and someone has approached us who clearly knew me, and tried to make friendly conversation, but I couldn't think who the fuck they were so couldn't introduce them
It turned out I did know them, but only casually, from occasional parties and pub trips etc. I am generally not good with faces.

Out of interest, what is the proper form for who you introduce to whom? I've got a vague idea that it's to do with who is the most 'important', which I guess in practice means who you know the best (so, say, your partner is more 'important' than a colleague who you know quite casually).

I would always introduce someone. My family were very heavy on etiquette and this is one of the many things we were told. If I was with someone and they didn’t introduce me I’d introduce myself (if there was an appropriate way to do so)

I would prefer it too and I do think people used to do it more (as in most of the time but now it seems more like half and half).

I had a boyfriend at uni who was the worst for this. We'd bump into someone he knew and he'd launch into a long animated conversation with them but not introduce me, in fact, would act like I wasn't there at all. It was so awkward, I would see the other person glance at me and smile as if in anticipation of an introduction but then look confused when the intro didn't come. I asked him once why he did it and he got all arsey and said I didn't need to meet his friends.

I don't think he was ashamed to be seen with me. If anything he was punching and was gutted when I dumped him. Just a total lack of manners I think.

I really don't think this is a common thing!

Or something you need to be abiding by!

Arrgghhh - I get in this mess when I can’t remember someone’s name. My parents had a system for this, as my dad knew many many people from many different jobs/roles and often struggled to remember who all the people were. So if someone came up to them at an event or on the street and if he hadn’t introduced her within the first few sentences, she’d just stick her hand out and say “Hi, I’m Mary, John’s wife” and 9 times out of 10 the other person would then say their name and the context in which they knew my dad.

Did you say hello to the other person and introduce yourself?
Oh my goodness haven't seen you in ages, are you well? Sorry, hi, I'm Time, we know each other from that place we worked.