Would you be "you" if you had a different first name?
Just wondering to what extent our name affects who we are. Do we adapt our personality according to what we have been named?
Answer:
that's a really good question, I've known people with some strange first names; Sunshine, Heaven, and I don't know why I can't think of any more. I think it does have an effect upon you, but in a backwards way. For example, if your name was "wonderful" You would learn your name in life before you knew about the word wonderful, and then everytime you heard something being praised as "wonderful" You would feel your pride growing, as if you were the standard of excellence.
On the other hand, if you were named "stupid" You would initially know the word only as your name, and as you grew through life, you'd constantly be seeing negative things referred to as "stupid" and you'd end up feeling personally insulted that your label was being used to refer to such undesirable things.
And all through life, as you meet new people, imagine Introducing yourself as "stupid" or "wonderful." Everyone would get a preconceived notion about you before they even had a chance to evaluate you and you wouldn't stand a chance in social situations of actually being known for yourself, unless it was someone who knew you for a long time. Even then, their initial reactions might cloud the rest of your relationship.
What about people whose names are just plain ridiculous? LIke "Hallerraunnicah" I once knew a girl with that name. Her mother made it up because she thought it sounded beautiful. The other kids all had strange names, too. All through life no one knows how to pronounce it, and when you meet people you have to say it a hundred times as they repeat after you until they finally get it right and then they walk away never wanting to have to say it again. And forget spelling it, no one will ever know how to spell it right. So whenever you're doing paperwork you'll have to repeat each letter one by one and then wait while they repeat it back to you.
Anyways- that's with wierd names, I don't think that names like Joe or Jennifer really have an effect upon people, because they're common enough that we all know enough Joe's that we don't automatically associate it with certain personality characteristics or anything.
Does Joe or Jennifer approach life differently because of his name? Maybe. Perhaps in an effort to stand out he might want to excel, or perhaps because he can blend so easily he decides he shouldn't try to stand out or rise above the crowd.
No- we're born with personalities and I don't think a common name would have any impact at all upon who we think we are / who we become. I do think, though that an uncommon name can impact our personality, but only to the extent that we decide to use it as a tool for whatever our goals were anyway. I believe Oprah would have been the powerhouse even if her name was Kathy.
By the time you realize your name has meaning, you must probably be around 5 or 6 years old, ready to leave the safe circle of your immediate family and venture out into the world for periods of time and learn that your name has another meaning. At that point a lot of our personality traits have already revealed themselves (from a mom's perspective)
i think we would all still be the same.Dont really think our names have much influence over our characters.could be wrong though!
If Junipero named Siegfried, then he no be Junipero . . .
I grew up with an unusual name at a time when all little girls were called Linda or Diane or Jane. As a result I stood out and was a target for bullies. I learned to stand up for myself and to turn the other cheek. If I had been given a 'normal' name I may not have learned that.
I think so, though with me it's that some of us adapt our names according to the identies we want to project. My screenname, my real name and the three nicknames I use in everyday life project different sides of me.
I have heard that before, but I don´t believe it. We´re not who we are because our name, but because of our enviroment and education.
When my friend was pregnant, she got a book entitled "You Are Your First Name." I wish I had that book, because it was so true. Whether it's cause or effect, I cannot say, but people do tend to be what their name suggests. For example, the first name "Barbara" means female barbarian: wild woman or strange woman. It's true, it's true.
No, i would still have the same personality, same looks, same family and same friends.
It seems logical that much of our personality is a function of how others treat us. Similarly, how others treat us is a function of our appearance, name, and other factors.
Therefore it stands to reason that our name can affect our personality.
That is an interesting question because there are some people that their name just fits them and then there are others that do not look like they would have their name. I think that my first name suits me perfectly. My family calls me Susie which was a nickname given to me when I was born and my friends who know me as Olivia always say that I do not look like a Susie but I do look like an Olivia. I think it is just coincidence that sometimes a name just fits. I don't think that we adapt our personalities at all because some of us are called different names by different people.
I would be the same.
our names are chosen by our parents and it is their influence that generally moulds us just as they choose a name that fit their preferences
probably not.
interesting question
No. I wouldn't. I would be that brilliant leading personalty who didn't hesitate at all. A first name surely moulds one's personality and behaviour from the early days of his/ her life .
my name does not define who or what i am
Of COURSE you would. Changing your name does NOT change who you are at all. It doesnt change any of your qualities or the way you act, etc. Its all in what lies inside you. NOT your name. That is just a word for people to know exactly who you are. A name is like an arrow. It points to the person. It has nothing to do with the inner filling.
If you had a different first name,
You would still be the same.
Even tho' you think not so,
You would still have that very same glow.
cd
Yes, I think so. I have a lightly uncommon name- Jamie, and I think it has made me more individualistic because I am one of only a few guys named Jamie. There's Jamie Foxx, but I don't know him personally, and him being a B-list celebrity, he doesn't give me as much popular momentum as, say, Brad Pitt does for guys named Brad. My real name is James, and I could just drop the nickname Jamie and go with James if I wanted to, but since I've been Jamie for so long, it is my identity and all my friends know me as Jamie, so I don't really see the point in changing things now.
You. Could go by Y. Ou.
i would still be the same me.
Good question! I'm sure I'd be the same person, no matter what my name I was given. Our personalities form from the womb, so, I don't think the name really matters that much.
I would be a totally different person if my name was chuck.
I'm american, but I have an african firstname.
All my life people's first impression of me has always been in some way linked to my "Funny" name.
And I love it. I'm the only Kante(Pronounced Khan-tay) that most people will ever meet.
And so I do tend to do things differently than most, I always lend to things that I do a personal flair, almost a signature.
And I get remembered more often than John's.
If I was a George, oh God that would suck.
No offense to you George.
I would still be me but with a different name, maybe I would become a different sort of a person with another identity. That would be fun sometimes, you know? a make-over sort of thing.
bettyk
It all depends- on the name.Ithink it's all in your personality,style,and how you wear it. I know we all have doubles out there,I've been told I have one somewhere in Florida.I have a coulpe of nick-names,I guess what you felt, that day. Sometimes I think about it & say -yes, why not.I think it would be fun, to be different from what you are now.
well, i don't think our names effect our personalities at all. thousands of people across the world could have the same name as me, and each one of us would have totally different personalities. i think we get our personalities from the environment we live in. think of how you act on a daily basis, you might act similar to your parents, friends, or your favorite TV character. so even if i had a different name i'd still be me.
i think i'd still be me, if they only thing different was my name i don't think it would change my way of thinking
I think you might be on to something. My name is Marisa, and although it's becoming a lot more common these days, I was the only Marisa I knew of growing up and for a long time I was the only Marisa at my school.
It made me stand out as an individual in some way ... Like everyone would say "Oh, Marisa? I know her," and I no one ever needed to specify and last name. As a result, I think I found it somewhat easier to BE an individual, if that makes any sense.
I wonder if my mom had named me Jennifer what I would have turned out like ... I bet not exactly the same.
I could be someone else, or me with a different name Or someone else with my name confused you will be. Anymore intellectual questions?
What was it Shakespeare said in Romeo and Juliette? "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet!" And I would still be me, no matter what name I answered to.
I am proof, somewhat as to my identity. I have two names--one that was given to me by my biological mom, and the one that was given to my by adoptive mom.
I believe that we don't adapt our personalities to our name. If that was the case, then many people would have to research their name then feel compelled to act as name is suggesting. I.E. Do you think people who's name is Christopher or Christina, that they live their lives as Christians?? More than likely not.
Our personalities are based on how we were raised at home, how we act at school, work, etc. We just accordingly to certain situations. Not what our name is.
But I am still me, even with the two names. Two identites, one person, who is the same all around.
there is also the question of how much other people's behaviour towards you effects your perception of self; humans make judgements about others from a lot of things,from clothing to behaviour and even name.If you think someone is going to be , say, precocious, then you tend to treat them as if they are, then they become like it (called "self fulfilling prophecy" in psychology)...it could work with names too
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Answer:
that's a really good question, I've known people with some strange first names; Sunshine, Heaven, and I don't know why I can't think of any more. I think it does have an effect upon you, but in a backwards way. For example, if your name was "wonderful" You would learn your name in life before you knew about the word wonderful, and then everytime you heard something being praised as "wonderful" You would feel your pride growing, as if you were the standard of excellence.
On the other hand, if you were named "stupid" You would initially know the word only as your name, and as you grew through life, you'd constantly be seeing negative things referred to as "stupid" and you'd end up feeling personally insulted that your label was being used to refer to such undesirable things.
And all through life, as you meet new people, imagine Introducing yourself as "stupid" or "wonderful." Everyone would get a preconceived notion about you before they even had a chance to evaluate you and you wouldn't stand a chance in social situations of actually being known for yourself, unless it was someone who knew you for a long time. Even then, their initial reactions might cloud the rest of your relationship.
What about people whose names are just plain ridiculous? LIke "Hallerraunnicah" I once knew a girl with that name. Her mother made it up because she thought it sounded beautiful. The other kids all had strange names, too. All through life no one knows how to pronounce it, and when you meet people you have to say it a hundred times as they repeat after you until they finally get it right and then they walk away never wanting to have to say it again. And forget spelling it, no one will ever know how to spell it right. So whenever you're doing paperwork you'll have to repeat each letter one by one and then wait while they repeat it back to you.
Anyways- that's with wierd names, I don't think that names like Joe or Jennifer really have an effect upon people, because they're common enough that we all know enough Joe's that we don't automatically associate it with certain personality characteristics or anything.
Does Joe or Jennifer approach life differently because of his name? Maybe. Perhaps in an effort to stand out he might want to excel, or perhaps because he can blend so easily he decides he shouldn't try to stand out or rise above the crowd.
No- we're born with personalities and I don't think a common name would have any impact at all upon who we think we are / who we become. I do think, though that an uncommon name can impact our personality, but only to the extent that we decide to use it as a tool for whatever our goals were anyway. I believe Oprah would have been the powerhouse even if her name was Kathy.
By the time you realize your name has meaning, you must probably be around 5 or 6 years old, ready to leave the safe circle of your immediate family and venture out into the world for periods of time and learn that your name has another meaning. At that point a lot of our personality traits have already revealed themselves (from a mom's perspective)
i think we would all still be the same.Dont really think our names have much influence over our characters.could be wrong though!
If Junipero named Siegfried, then he no be Junipero . . .
I grew up with an unusual name at a time when all little girls were called Linda or Diane or Jane. As a result I stood out and was a target for bullies. I learned to stand up for myself and to turn the other cheek. If I had been given a 'normal' name I may not have learned that.
I think so, though with me it's that some of us adapt our names according to the identies we want to project. My screenname, my real name and the three nicknames I use in everyday life project different sides of me.
I have heard that before, but I don´t believe it. We´re not who we are because our name, but because of our enviroment and education.
When my friend was pregnant, she got a book entitled "You Are Your First Name." I wish I had that book, because it was so true. Whether it's cause or effect, I cannot say, but people do tend to be what their name suggests. For example, the first name "Barbara" means female barbarian: wild woman or strange woman. It's true, it's true.
No, i would still have the same personality, same looks, same family and same friends.
It seems logical that much of our personality is a function of how others treat us. Similarly, how others treat us is a function of our appearance, name, and other factors.
Therefore it stands to reason that our name can affect our personality.
That is an interesting question because there are some people that their name just fits them and then there are others that do not look like they would have their name. I think that my first name suits me perfectly. My family calls me Susie which was a nickname given to me when I was born and my friends who know me as Olivia always say that I do not look like a Susie but I do look like an Olivia. I think it is just coincidence that sometimes a name just fits. I don't think that we adapt our personalities at all because some of us are called different names by different people.
I would be the same.
our names are chosen by our parents and it is their influence that generally moulds us just as they choose a name that fit their preferences
probably not.
interesting question
No. I wouldn't. I would be that brilliant leading personalty who didn't hesitate at all. A first name surely moulds one's personality and behaviour from the early days of his/ her life .
my name does not define who or what i am
Of COURSE you would. Changing your name does NOT change who you are at all. It doesnt change any of your qualities or the way you act, etc. Its all in what lies inside you. NOT your name. That is just a word for people to know exactly who you are. A name is like an arrow. It points to the person. It has nothing to do with the inner filling.
If you had a different first name,
You would still be the same.
Even tho' you think not so,
You would still have that very same glow.
cd
Yes, I think so. I have a lightly uncommon name- Jamie, and I think it has made me more individualistic because I am one of only a few guys named Jamie. There's Jamie Foxx, but I don't know him personally, and him being a B-list celebrity, he doesn't give me as much popular momentum as, say, Brad Pitt does for guys named Brad. My real name is James, and I could just drop the nickname Jamie and go with James if I wanted to, but since I've been Jamie for so long, it is my identity and all my friends know me as Jamie, so I don't really see the point in changing things now.
You. Could go by Y. Ou.
i would still be the same me.
Good question! I'm sure I'd be the same person, no matter what my name I was given. Our personalities form from the womb, so, I don't think the name really matters that much.
I would be a totally different person if my name was chuck.
I'm american, but I have an african firstname.
All my life people's first impression of me has always been in some way linked to my "Funny" name.
And I love it. I'm the only Kante(Pronounced Khan-tay) that most people will ever meet.
And so I do tend to do things differently than most, I always lend to things that I do a personal flair, almost a signature.
And I get remembered more often than John's.
If I was a George, oh God that would suck.
No offense to you George.
I would still be me but with a different name, maybe I would become a different sort of a person with another identity. That would be fun sometimes, you know? a make-over sort of thing.
bettyk
It all depends- on the name.Ithink it's all in your personality,style,and how you wear it. I know we all have doubles out there,I've been told I have one somewhere in Florida.I have a coulpe of nick-names,I guess what you felt, that day. Sometimes I think about it & say -yes, why not.I think it would be fun, to be different from what you are now.
well, i don't think our names effect our personalities at all. thousands of people across the world could have the same name as me, and each one of us would have totally different personalities. i think we get our personalities from the environment we live in. think of how you act on a daily basis, you might act similar to your parents, friends, or your favorite TV character. so even if i had a different name i'd still be me.
i think i'd still be me, if they only thing different was my name i don't think it would change my way of thinking
I think you might be on to something. My name is Marisa, and although it's becoming a lot more common these days, I was the only Marisa I knew of growing up and for a long time I was the only Marisa at my school.
It made me stand out as an individual in some way ... Like everyone would say "Oh, Marisa? I know her," and I no one ever needed to specify and last name. As a result, I think I found it somewhat easier to BE an individual, if that makes any sense.
I wonder if my mom had named me Jennifer what I would have turned out like ... I bet not exactly the same.
I could be someone else, or me with a different name Or someone else with my name confused you will be. Anymore intellectual questions?
What was it Shakespeare said in Romeo and Juliette? "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet!" And I would still be me, no matter what name I answered to.
I am proof, somewhat as to my identity. I have two names--one that was given to me by my biological mom, and the one that was given to my by adoptive mom.
I believe that we don't adapt our personalities to our name. If that was the case, then many people would have to research their name then feel compelled to act as name is suggesting. I.E. Do you think people who's name is Christopher or Christina, that they live their lives as Christians?? More than likely not.
Our personalities are based on how we were raised at home, how we act at school, work, etc. We just accordingly to certain situations. Not what our name is.
But I am still me, even with the two names. Two identites, one person, who is the same all around.
there is also the question of how much other people's behaviour towards you effects your perception of self; humans make judgements about others from a lot of things,from clothing to behaviour and even name.If you think someone is going to be , say, precocious, then you tend to treat them as if they are, then they become like it (called "self fulfilling prophecy" in psychology)...it could work with names too
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