What is in a name?

What is in a name?

“When playwright William Shakespeare asked the question, “What’s in a name?” in Romeo and Juliet, he was referring to the idea that names themselves are a convention to distinguish things or people, but themselves do not have any worth or meaning. While we can certainly understand that “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” we do have to be careful with names and their meaning in the world of business, contracts, and construction. “This was a quote from Walter Isler, President of one of America’s premier building companies.

While this quote was a part of the promotional literature of a major project of this company it needs to be noted that a name often is the very source of pride and going forth ego in a human being. If someone were to ask you who you are, you are very unlikely to say that you are a human being. You may not even introduce yourself by your nationality. You will announce yourself, or may I put it as your SELF, with your name. And your family name if you go by the western social system. This is the norm now with a large part of the world.

Why does your name sound so sweet, probably sweeter than any sound in the world? I have certainly felt the tickle that comes with hearing my own name being mentioned. Let us first dwell on the importance that humanity has attached to NAMES. Our names are an incredibly important part of our identity. They carry deep personal, cultural, familial, and historical connections. They also give us a sense of who we are, the communities in which we belong, and our place in the world. This is why mispronunciations, misuse of our preferred names, in some cases even the title that precedes the name, can negatively affect and possibly hurt and impact a sense of belonging. It may even endanger very close relationships. The Mr. or Dr. or in an Indian context Sri. have found a place in our daily transactional and mentions without these may be considered a mark of disrespect or even as an insult.

Wikipedia says ‘A name is a term used for identification by an external observer.’ However to you it is a whole lot more than that. Your name is the holiest sound in your life, the epitome’ of all things important to you. All your relations are linked to the closeness of your name with that of another person. All you own is identified by the name of, not just you but by that of the person, who is your father. Every social, financial, legal and professional transaction you are involved in is indelibly linked to your name. Thus is the importance of your name.
However being overly attached to your name can have some negative sides too. Every identification with your own name is an indication of ego. However a quiet ego indicates healthy self-esteem, one that acknowledges one’s own limitations and is not afraid to show vulnerability and thus doesn’t need to constantly resort to defensiveness whenever it is threatened, and yet has a firm sense of self-worth and competence. But the ego needs to be regulated. The problems arise when it affects your decision making, your mood, or it turns you into a victim, an underdog, or it makes you feel superior to others in order to justify your behaviour. These things make you miserable. Your ego will fight this fact though, it wants to look at the past and the future to find trouble so it can defend itself. It wants to fight. It doesn’t want you to be at peace. Your ego needs an enemy – a situation or a problem to feel bigger or better than. This stops you from enjoying your life and accepting things as they are. You can, however, learn to accept how things are by simply noticing when your ego is interfering and gently bringing it back into line.

Always remember that you are not your mind. Most people fully identify themselves with the voice in their head. Have you ever considered the idea that this is not you, but just one part? This is the danger of unhealthy ego. This is especially so when you get upset, or sad, or angry, or worry, or fear the future. Your judgement will identify with the image of yourself that you carry in your mind, and not see matter for what they are. This in turn leads to a great many problems and finally absolute misery.
Have you ever considered one fact? You were never the person who decided your name. It was given to you by someone else, in most cases, your parents. While they may be close to you, they are NOT you. Sometime I feel that you may help yourself if you considered the option of reconsidering the choice of your name and correct it to fit in with your picture of your real self.

Having said that, tome, my name is still the sweetest sound in the world –to me!