A new study out of the University of York in England found the average person recognizes about 5,000 different faces. That includes friends, family members, coworkers, and celebrities.
There are some people who know way fewer. About 2% of the population have “face blindness” where they recognize 1,000 faces or less. But that’s pretty rare.
It may SEEM like 5,000 faces is overkill . . . especially since ancient humans lived in small groups.
But the researchers say the fact that our brains have such a high capacity for faces is a sign of just how important it is for humans to be social . . . and how crucial it is for us to survive.