Ask the Box

26 jun 06

"What's your real name"

why is it important to name me, to attach some word to this hairy entiy that types behind a computer screen? wouldn't it be more useful to describe that hairy entity by stating its properties, noting its actions, and generally opening the doors of perception to it? in this limited environment ("ask the box"), the only describing you're going to be able to do is read the essays written by the hairy entity. giving the hairy entity a name will not help you to understand it -- it won't give you any details.

my first and middle names are hebrew, and my last name is norwegian. i don't ascribe any significance to their meanings, because i didn't choose my names, and i didn't know what the words meant while i was growing up, so it didn't affect my self-concept or anything like that. the meanings of my names are quite unexciting. meaningful names are the essence of language, text, and communication of ideas, but this system breaks down horribly when it comes to personal names.

in order to be useful, names need to be "meaningful" or "descriptive". for instance, it's helpful that a file on a hard drive have a "descriptive name," so you know what's in it, what it does, and where to put it (1992_tax_returns.doc). consider the things we know as "plants": the thing with leaves in a pot is the referrent, and "plant" is the signifier, or the name. the word "plant" derives ultimately from the indo-european root of "plat", which is a verb meaning "to spread." so, "plant" then becomes somewhat descriptive. if we dig into a name's etymology, it usually becomes more meaningful/descriptive. however, if we try to do this to personal names, we're dissappointed.

my names mean "gift of god", "supplanter", and "a chunk of farmland", in respective order (first, middle, last). pretty lame -- they do not a cohesive concept make. this is the same problem that everyone has with their names: they aren't "descriptive filenames" -- they don't help ellaborate on the person they're attached to. no significance whatsoever; just a way for the IRS to find you, and a substitute for "hey you".

knowing my name is unimportant -- it's not who i am. a name is never what a thing "is"; it's just assigning that thing a label, so you can refer to it. it doesn't help communicate meaning.

my true name is unspeakable. either that, or it's my SS#.