Does your name shape your destiny?

[James81]

Does Your Name Determine Your Destiny? - Yahoo! News

Article talks about studies on how a person's name affects the decisions they make. As usual, there are conflicted studies and arguments for and against.

I laughed at the last part of the article though (Dennis the Dentist).

On a more personal level, I have determined that guys named Dennis tend to be real asses. And girls named Megan are evil.

Also, when I become spiritually enlightened and transform into a guru of great repute, I shall change my name to: Rakalimi Shakbara.

[Anthoneee]

Your name will shape your identity, if you identify/define yourself by your name. Your gender will shape your identity, if you identify with your gender. Your race will shape your identity, if you identify with your race. My name/sex/race is Dennis/male/black, Dennis's/males/blacks are like this, I should act like this.

What if you don't identify yourself with anything? If you just 'are', if you just exist, what will you become? What if you identify yourself with everything?

[supertom]

I think it definitely does, im proof of it

[KaleidoskopicVision]

My IRL name is John. I find that this name sometimes prompts people to make terribly unfunny jokes about my name being synonymous with the British slang for the antechamber of colonic cleanliness aka the bathroom/washroom/loo/porcelain throneroom etc etc etc. The jokes usually just consist of them pointing out the correlation as if it were some brilliant wordplay and they a genius comedy writer.

Other than this I am completely oblivious to what effects this name could be causing.

[KaleidoskopicVision]

Interesting to note that many actors and artists change their names upon entering the biz. Joseph Stalin's real name wasn't Joe Steel either (Stalin basically means steel or steely in Russian). I think I'm going to start introducing myself as Ignatio von Mysteria

[elucidate]

I don't know, but every Jason I've ever hooked up with has been BAD news. I stay away from Jasons and Simons now.

[Federer]

Originally Posted by elucidate

I don't know, but every Jason I've ever hooked up with has been BAD news. I stay away from Jasons and Simons now.

Ditto.

I used to believe every girl whose name starts by "J" will be disastrous friend for me. But i have broken this jinx. Thank god

You know people whose name starts by 'J' are lovely, but sometimes hard to understand. I have noticed they force themselves on few occasions. What kind of impression you got from them? Were they lovely, supportive or something else?

Well my name is totally different and rare in India. My name is simply different, this is why i am simple.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by Federer

What kind of impression you got from them? Were they lovely, supportive or something else?

Ah NO!

Definitely not supportive or lovely.

One was a rapist, one was an ******* and the other two were almost exactly the same except for physical attributes...and had the same taste for ketamine.

[Federer]

Originally Posted by elucidate

Ah NO!

Definitely not supportive or lovely.

One was a rapist, one was an ******* and the other two were almost exactly the same except for physical attributes...and had the same taste for ketamine.

Oh!! Then god bless their life.

[Lynn 007]

Interesting article James.

My birth name is Linda and I am not fond of that name at all. Every Linda I've met has been extremely obnoxious, rude and self-centered (except Linda Carter = Wonderwoman). In high school I asked people to start calling me Lynn which is not as harsh sounding, seems more open, approachable and adaptable which I think reflects my personality.

With the exception of my family, close friends or anyone who looks at my drivers license do they know my birth name is Linda.

[Diandra25]

my name - Ana - has the meaning "full of Grace" and usually all Ann´s i know are sensitive,kind and good-hearted people.

so i dont know if shapes our destiny - probably our name is meant to be in order to have the specific meaning that identifies us with a certain type of personality.

but our destiny?.....its ourselves who made it,with certain themes already chosen by our Soul before reincarnating.

at least,this is my belief

[Angelique]

My first name is Gloria. (Angelique is my middle name.)

It means "glory" or "praise." One thing I notice about my name is that people change it up all the time (Glo-glo, Glory, G-Lo, Sho-glo..). I've had so many nicknames that I don't even care when someone calls me the wrong name anymore. But that does go with my personality. I'm mutable, flexible.

Most of the Glorias I meet are older than me and the ones I see on TV/movies are usually crazy. lol

Apparently, there's a bunch of us (many who share my last name, too!) but I don't run into too many of us. I can't even remember the last one I've met.

[Jochem]

Your name will shape your destiny, but luckily your name doesn't determine everything. You can even redefine the meaning of your name by your own actions. Names didn't get all of their meanings the moment they were introduced. It were the people who were carrying them that mostly defined them.

Also not just the person carrying the name defines the name. It's also the people that are perceiving that person and his name. When you think all people called Megan are evil, then that probably tells you more about yourself than people called Megan. It's a stereotype similar to "all Asians are smart".

[Criseyde]

I love this topic.

Of course names have power -- every tradition has some belief around names. Some say that knowing someone's true name gives you power over them (Rumpelstiltskin); some change a person's name when they "come of age"; most change a woman's name, or at least add to it, when she marries. Even this forum exhibits some beliefs about names which have been contentious: Steve is really into transparency and telling your real name, and a lot of posters use their real names. In this context, telling me your name doesn't give me power over you -- it gives you power and social currency, via transparency. (I'd say name/handle habits on the internet at large are more an example of the Rumpelstiltskin belief.)

When Shakespeare wrote "What's in a name?" he was writing ironically -- because he knew the answer was: "everything!" Romeo and Juliet is all about the power of names as tied into custom/hierarchy, Capulets vs. Montagues.

But I have to say, I think reducing the effect to something like "Dennis the Dentist" is... reductionist?

I like my name, I'm glad my parents chose it. I can't think of any professions that would rhyme with it though.

[Angelique]

Originally Posted by Criseyde

I like my name, I'm glad my parents chose it. I can't think of any professions that would rhyme with it though.

Is Criseyde your real name?

[Criseyde]

Originally Posted by Angelique

Is Criseyde your real name?

Nope. It's from Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde. My name is Monica. It's nice to meet you!

[Jochem]

What about harmonica player?

[Angelique]

Heh. Freaky name stuff.. I recently found a woman (on FB) that shares my first, middle, and last name and she's Gemini like me, too. Well, I'm on the cusp, but still that's weird.

Originally Posted by Criseyde

Nope. It's from Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde. My name is Monica. It's nice to meet you!

Nice to meet you, too!

[HoneyOat]

Well I had a lovely friend from Palestine inform me that my name is a form of the word "heaven" in Arabic.

So I'm going to go with yes.

[nienie]

I am suprised I haven't met more people who share my name [Danielle] suprisingly as I thought it was not that uncommon. I can't think of any particular trait I association with Danielles, then again, I never really think much about the names of people.

[LostMyMap]

Originally Posted by KaleidoskopicVision

antechamber of colonic cleanliness

I may have to resurrect my clever words thread.

Sorry you get teased, but it could be worse. And I can't think of a better song to explain that, and the whole concept of a name shaping a man's destiny than this: YouTube - Johnny Cash - A Boy Named Sue

[Mounds]

Why do you ask, Myles Long?

[Michael Chui]

I admit I am not entirely comfortable being destined to archangelhood.

But the heavy burden of being an unquestionable authority is one I will reluctantly accept.

[DeepGrowth]

Your name will only shape your destiny if you allow it to. Although part of our experience, I think, may be pre-determined, a great deal of it may be selected through choice.

I don't like Numerology where numbers are assigned to letters of names. For example, as your name adds up and simplifies to 8, "You are a very positive person and very social. You will..." The descriptions are very general and can apply to anyone.

[KaleidoskopicVision]

Originally Posted by nienie

I am suprised I haven't met more people who share my name [Danielle] suprisingly as I thought it was not that uncommon. I can't think of any particular trait I association with Danielles, then again, I never really think much about the names of people.

I dated a Danielle in middle school. She was not the sharpest tool in the shed, if you catch my drift

[secrets0stolen]

Originally Posted by James81

On a more personal level, I have determined that guys named Dennis tend to be real asses. And girls named Megan are evil.

Hahahaahahaha....that's actually my experience too. Except Dennis's (Denni? ) are more like Loci.

[secrets0stolen]

My real name is Joy, by the way. I go by my middle name as well, Joy Lynn. All it's ever shaped in my life that I'm aware of is the same "Character Award" at the end of the year for the 8 years I spent in Christian school. And Christmas time jokes.

[Weena]

Originally Posted by KaleidoskopicVision

My IRL name is John. I find that this name sometimes prompts people to make terribly unfunny jokes about my name being synonymous with the British slang for the antechamber of colonic cleanliness aka the bathroom/washroom/loo/porcelain throneroom etc etc etc. The jokes usually just consist of them pointing out the correlation as if it were some brilliant wordplay and they a genius comedy writer.

Other than this I am completely oblivious to what effects this name could be causing.

I got a guy trying to make a joke about Weena/weiner word play. First of all it's not pronounced weeeee-na, but more like winner . Also, no one was impressed and his joke fell flat with no ensuing laughter from anyone. Also, he was a very pathetic loser. I think people making fun of people's names are just...not very bright. When I think of your name, the first thing that comes to mind is John the Baptist...certainly not bathrooms.

[Weena]

Originally Posted by elucidate

I don't know, but every Jason I've ever hooked up with has been BAD news. I stay away from Jasons and Simons now.

Hahaha. Same for the Jason name, aside from one who is on these forums and is a wonderful guy (maybe it's just the Australian Jasons that are bad news?)

[KaleidoskopicVision]

Originally Posted by Weena

I got a guy trying to make a joke about Weena/weiner word play. First of all it's not pronounced weeeee-na, but more like winner . Also, no one was impressed and his joke fell flat with no ensuing laughter from anyone. Also, he was a very pathetic loser. I think people making fun of people's names are just...not very bright. When I think of your name, the first thing that comes to mind is John the Baptist...certainly not bathrooms.

Oh that's how I always pronounced your name in my head. Weeee-na
I never considered making a joke about it though. That would just be unfunny.

My mum, being a devout Christian, actually chose the name after one of the 12 disciples. My sister's name Jacinta is also from the Bible, but no one picks up on that and assumes shes Hispanic (jacinta being the spanish word for purple of all things ) then act shocked when they see how white she is