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I've been thinking about this idea a fair bit over the past few months, and right now I'm actually quite convinced that your name can affect your personality, even if just slightly.

Let's think of a few situations where this could be the case:

What if you have a rather unusual name, and a particular group of people come up to you expressing their opinions? They could be positive, in which case you would likely hang out with them more than others and would grow up acting differently than you may have done with a more common name and a different friend group.
Or, they could be negative, in which case you'd probably get bullied, and you'd grow up with slight trepidation that your name could 'stir some people's emotions' against you. If you had a more common name, the likelihood is you wouldn't get bullied on grounds of your name. Verstehen?

What if you shared the name of somebody famous - the same person that was your idol? Would you perhaps be influenced by what they do and do it yourself, because you realise that you share the same name? What if your friends commented on the 'coincidence' of your two names being the same, and suggested you follow in their footsteps? Would you be influenced?

Okay, that last one wasn't the best situation in the world. So how about the obvious - 'I hate my name.' If you were to say that you hate your name, you're obviously quite angry about it, which very likely affects the way you behave, as opposed to having a name you don't mind which doesn't upset you.

You guys may find flaws in this idea but I'm quite convinced that it's valid. There are probably countless situations where this could apply, which some of you may have experienced yourselves. I'm pretty sure my personality wouldn't be the same as it currently is had I any other name. Settled.

Discuss, debate, and God help Jamie Oliver's children.

I'd have to say that the only real reason that name affects personality is because society will stereotype people with certain names to be "Bad" or "Good". People with "Bad" names aren't really born as a bad people, they more often than not just conform to societies opinion of them.

Quote wrote:I'd have to say that the only real reason that name affects personality is because society will stereotype people with certain names to be "Bad" or "Good". People with "Bad" names aren't really born as a bad people, they more often than not just conform to societies opinion of them.

Don't worry, guys! He just totally made this stuff up!

Quote wrote:I'd have to say that the only real reason that name affects personality is because society will stereotype people with certain names to be "Bad" or "Good". People with "Bad" names aren't really born as a bad people, they more often than not just conform to societies opinion of them.

I believe the term is Combo Bustperson.

SlappyMcGee wrote:

Quote wrote:I'd have to say that the only real reason that name affects personality is because society will stereotype people with certain names to be "Bad" or "Good". People with "Bad" names aren't really born as a bad people, they more often than not just conform to societies opinion of them.

I believe the term is Combo Bustperson.

This should probably be Quote's new username. Reverse nominal determinism, I believe they call it.

boozy panache wrote:

SlappyMcGee wrote:

Quote wrote:I'd have to say that the only real reason that name affects personality is because society will stereotype people with certain names to be "Bad" or "Good". People with "Bad" names aren't really born as a bad people, they more often than not just conform to societies opinion of them.

I believe the term is Combo Bustperson.

This should probably be Quote's new username. Reverse nominal determinism, I believe they call it.

This is thrilling.

boozy panache wrote:

SlappyMcGee wrote:

Quote wrote:I'd have to say that the only real reason that name affects personality is because society will stereotype people with certain names to be "Bad" or "Good". People with "Bad" names aren't really born as a bad people, they more often than not just conform to societies opinion of them.

I believe the term is Combo Bustperson.

This should probably be Quote's new username. Reverse nominal determinism, I believe they call it.

I trust this guy. He seems legit.

OutrightOJ wrote:What if you have a rather unusual name, and a particular group of people come up to you expressing their opinions? They could be positive, in which case you would likely hang out with them more than others and would grow up acting differently than you may have done with a more common name and a different friend group.
Or, they could be negative, in which case you'd probably get bullied, and you'd grow up with slight trepidation that your name could 'stir some people's emotions' against you. If you had a more common name, the likelihood is you wouldn't get bullied on grounds of your name. Verstehen?

This works to an extent. Someone could have a really terrible name, but be cool enough to brush it off and still be able to gain the favour of the other kids. On the flipside, someone with a fairly standard name can be shunned by others for a multitude of reasons. These sort of characteristics I feel are more due to how you're raised rather than how you're named.