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6. Mumbling The Name Part During "Happy Birthday"
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"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear (inaudible name), happy birthday to you." When you go to someone's birthday celebration but you only meet them a few times, so you forget their name when it comes time to sing them "happy birthday." Hopefully, your sudden change in volume isn't audible to everyone standing around you. This embarrassing moment emphasizes our social fears and the drive to fit in group environments since it is a universal sensation. It's about the dread of being revealed as an outsider or not belonging, not only about forgetting names. A straightforward custom designed to be joyful, the birthday song can quickly cause anxiety as we try to remember the name of the person we are honoring. It's amazing how everyone agrees to this charade: most of the song is sung loudly, then there's always a clear drop in level during the name part as several people realize they are in the same boat. This is a moment of common humanity when our social discomfort and flawed recollections bind us. The next time you find yourself in this predicament, relax knowing that you're most likely not the only one slumming through the name. And someone else knows? Perhaps the birthday person is too busy reveling in the attention to notice anyhow.
