Is that entirely true?
Obviously, the rose left unnamed would still smell the same. If it were called ‘turd’, would we hesitate in smelling it, or would our senses search for and detect a less than agreeable odour?
I once read a survey taken with children in school. They were asked the names they liked the most and the least.
At that time, I remember that Leslie and Marilyn were names kids didn’t like.
Today, we have weirder names that are given to children by celebrities and then again, by some crazy folks trying to be different.
We have a dog in the family named Brooklyn but I have heard it as a child’s name.
It seems that names like Britney/Brittany, Barry, Stacey, Tracy, Dwayne, Shane are among those people don’t like much. Of course, it is all personal taste but what if the name actually affects how others see and treat you?
In the song, the father had named his son that hoping that it would strengthen his character. His son would either stand up to his name or else be a weakling.
What right did the father have to do that to a child? We are not all equipped from an early age to fight battles. It was only a song but how often does it happen in real life?
In France, I met a man named Dollar.
His father had named all his children after monies in the world including Drachma and Shilling! Fortunately, he was from North Africa where a lot of names are strange to our ears but where they are accustomed to the unusual. In Europe, a child would have had to endure a lot of teasing.
If others don’t consciously like it, will that affect how they treat us?
Does a name affect you when you first hear it?
If it is foreign, we immediately try to place it. Why?
I’d be interested to hear how first names affect you and whether you like the name you were given?
I’m a Sue, but then, I’m a female and my battles are of my own making...