Is it odd to know the colour of other people’s eyes?

[Notsosure1]

My partner thinks it is. I don’t mean close family members, but people you know, or even people you’ve just met - can you recall what colour their eyes are/were?

I can. To me it’s not odd as when you talk to someone you generally look them in the eyes. It’s admittedly less obvious than hair colour, but am I in the minority? I know the argument could be that’s not the most important part of the encounter, and your brain probably opts to recall conversation and more obvious physical characteristics, but I just find it interesting as I can’t not notice it, or remember it afterwards.

Anyone else?

She’s very lucky. Unfortunately I’m rubbish at finding things as my short term memory is poor - I can’t remember or visualise geographical locations or routes I’ve done hundreds of times before - it’s to do with executive function. But eye colour 👍🏻

I would guess it depends on whether people think in pictures or words?
I don't "see" images, I think in words/thoughts, so unless a detail is clear I'm not going to remember it. My facial recognition is awful.
However I'd imagine if someone thinks in pictures they must presumably know most details?

I can recall almost everyone’s eye colour. I thought that was normal? People would look completely different with a different colour, it’s a huge part of their look.

I don't remember eye colour. I do notice it, but don't seem to attach it to people. I do remember once in a big meeting noticing that of the 12 people in the room, 10 had blue eyes (including me), and thought, wow, that's a lot of blue eyes. But I'm afraid upon reflection I don't remember which two didn't.

I always notice people's eye colour. It's probably the first thing I notice about them, and I remember it. I'm weirdly fascinated by eye colour, though, always have been.

My late MIL didn't, I was surprised when I realised she didn't know the colour of her own children's eyes. She thought DH has brown eyes, when they are actually green.

That's a good point.

I think in perfect picture images and can replay films and images in my mind with ease, so my facial recall is almost photographic.

You just don't consider that a process so instinctive night vary between people do you? DH is like you and I find it so hard to imagine it.

I also have a constant narrator in my head and multiple voices and he reports no such thing

Yes! My partner had to take an educated guess on his parents eyes and wasn’t 100% sure on our own children! (Even though it’s something I’ve commented on loads in the past) - I guess he just doesn’t see it as an important thing to remember. He can quote complicated conversations at length though, almost verbatim, so that’s what he attaches more importance to - which, tbf, probably is the more useful skill ☺️

I don’t think it’s odd but I think I’m quite good at noticing things like that and others really aren’t. Like I remember a very good friend saying something about me having blue eyes - I don’t, they are very clearly green, not grey or blueish but definitely proper green. When I said I don’t have blue eyes she looked properly and was like oh yeah I just assumed they were blue!

It’s really interesting isn’t it, how varied we all are (obv a given but you know what I mean) but you tend to assume ppl think along the same lines as you about certain things and then you learn - nope. Great there are so many others that share this trait tho, brilliant hearing everyone else’s take on it

I would too but I think I would still struggle to say what colour they are.

Maybe like a PP said she was going off other physics factors - like if you have fair hair and skin etc - also blue is a pretty common colour compared to green, which is in the very low percentages, and also considered to be the most attractive eye colour (obv subjective but perhaps cos it’s so rare) I learned today - so feel 🌟

Also something to consider is how we all perceive different colours….. just throwing that into the mix… 👀

My bloke doesn’t either. Whereas I could tell you the colour of all my family’s eyes. I remarked to him once what beautiful eyes his ex has, he was married to her for 16 years and couldn’t tell me what colour they are!

I always notice the colour of people’s eyes and I am really good at remembering people’s faces even from many years ago, so I think I could be a super recogniser. (However remembering people’s names is a different matter!).

I don't remember the eye colour of everyone I've ever met, but yes, it's one of the first things I notice about people. I work in a team of ten and I have no trouble recalling all of their eye colours. I'm surprised by some of the responses.

I don't have a good visual memory and often can't picture scenes clearly in my mind's eye, so it's not that.

I love finding out all the small ways we experience the world differently, that people rarely mention and so assume are the same for everyone.

I agree with PPs that it probably comes down to those who think mainly in picture vs those of us who don't/can't. I don't see pictures in my mind's eyes, although I can "think" them. So I can recall the details of a very familiar face (close friends and family members, or people I see often like colleagues) but I would struggle to remember eye colour or even hair colour if I hadn't made a conscious mental note.

I suppose it comes down to what we notice/think is important (albeit probably subconsciously). I'm more likely to remember someone's expressions or the way they talk than specific details of their appearance. Eye colour just wouldn't register with me, unless attention had been drawn to it at the time.

I’d only notice particularly nice eyes. My friend, for example, has completely beautiful pale green eyes. Go out for a meal with her, and I can guarantee the server will comment on them. Has any stranger ever commented on my boring brown eyes? Nope.

So I couldn’t tell you what my other friends’ eye colour is, I’d usually guess blue as that’s most people I know.

I've worked 10 of my colleagues for 20 years and could maybe guess 2 of their eyes colours, the others not a clue. Something I'd never really considered but it probably is a bit weird not knowing.

I always notice peoples eyes, but I think with me it's partly because I've always had a lot of comments about my own unusual eye colour. So, right from being a little kid, I was always trying to spot people with the same colour eyes as mine, and it became a habit.

But I think we're all different in what we notice. Some people seemingly notice teeth or smiles more. But no, I don't think it's odd to know the colour of people's eyes, certainly with regard to family I don't think it's that uncommon.

Yes, my DP told me something I’d never even considered before was a thing - that he has always found it hard to visualise characters and settings in books. Unless told exactly what they look like by the author.

I guess it’s probably linked to visual creativity too. Maybe that’s why some ppl prefer non fiction to fiction bc it’s easier for them to process 🤔