The convenient nickname

Original opinion extract, written for practice.

I am hopeless with unfamiliar names, so I usually offer a nickname during introductions. It breaks the ice and saves everyone the embarrassment of hearing me get the original wrong. People are generally polite about it. One new colleague asked me to keep trying her actual name, which surprised me; she had already understood that no offence was intended. In a busy office, we cannot turn every greeting into a pronunciation lesson. I have several complicated professional terms at my fingertips because the job requires them. Names are different: friendship should be natural, not another examination. I want people to feel comfortable with me. A shorter name seems a small contribution they could make towards that comfort, particularly when mine is so easy to remember.

Use your own words to evaluate the writer’s attitude to learning other people’s names. Give details from the extract to justify your answer.