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Would you have turned out differently if your parents had given you a different name?

Asked by rojo (24179points) February 9th, 2016

Idle speculation on my part but if your folks had named you Butch or Jim Bob instead of William or James or perhaps Barbarella or Athena instead of Sally or Liz would it have made a difference?

Would you have viewed yourself differently? In school would others have treated you differently or would you have done things that you did not do; perhaps been more athletic or more studious?

How much does your given name influence what you become as an adult? Does your name alter the perceptions or expectations that you have for yourself or that others have of you?

Had you been given the choice (say at 15 or 18) what would you have named yourself? Would you have stayed with the one your parents gave you? Would renaming yourself re-invent yourself?

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