I am trying to change my life by improving my relationship with those around me, like my classmates. One simple thing I decided to change was to call people by their names, and I feel it has made a good difference.
Before, I never bothered to learn names. I would have good friends I enjoy talking to during lab times and the next semester would come and I still wouldn't know their name. I definitely knew everyone's faces but didn't care about names.
One day, I realized that it makes me happy inside when people call me by my name. It gives me this positive feeling of being cared about. It takes an effort to learn names, so people feel good when their names are remembered. I want the people I talk to to feel like I care about them. So, I decided to make a change.
It is definitely possible to get by without knowing their name. But, this way of associating with others will not improve your relationship. I used to say "hey, hows it going? thanks! hi! good morning!"
I changed it to "hey Mike, how's it going? Thanks, Mike! Hi Mike! Good morning Mike!" I don't know if others have noticed this subtle change I made but I feel like I care about people more now. I may not be able to have deep discussions with everyone I meet, even yet, have an awkward silence, but calling each person by their name will make a better relationship by making them feel better.