Names - It's An Identity Thing

If you think about it, every kind of everything has a name. Names are what we use to refer to someone and we associate people not by their physical appearance or even by their talents. We associate people by their names. Can you think of an animal, a city, or even a profession that does not have a name?

Having names bring uniqueness to everything. We know the difference between a flower, a leaf, and a tree because they each have names. But even further, we know the difference between a rose, a carnation, and a daisy because even all flowers have names. Think about all of the people you know. What if none of them had names. How would you remember who anyone was? Would you call them by their hair color, or perhaps by the job they had? But you see, there is a catch. Even the colors of hair - red, brown, black, blond, gray - are all names that someone has designated. Life would be kind of tricky if no one and nothing had the identiy that name give. I know that Jim is unique from Sarah, and that Andrew is unique from Katie because they all have different names.

Another amazing thing about names is that they bring identity to people and things, and having identity is important for everyone. Think about what identifying people with these terms means: mother, daughter, friend, or husband. I wonder how these identifiers make you feel: kind, generous, mean, rude. Do you feel differently if someone knows you as "unique" verses someone else thinking of you as "strange"? Of course you do, because these names that people give to us identify us in different ways. Think about how many ways there are to give names to people and things. Whether or not you realize it, you have identified almost everything you know based on the name you have given to that person or thing.

The names that we have for people and even the names we have for things bring a sense of unity to humanity. If I say I want a hamburger, what do you picture? Do you see a brown patty of meat that is usually eaten on a bun? If so, we are unified in our understanding of what a hamburger is. Or, try this. If I say that I must go see the doctor today, do you know what I am talking about? Chances are high that you do. Because you have identified certain people and a certain type of work as being a doctor. That is pretty amazing if you think of it. Communication would be pretty hard if we gave different names to everything. In fact, I doubt any human could have an understandable conversation with another human without the common ground that comes from having names.

So, the next time you are in conversation with a friend and you are communicating well about something that is really important to you and your friend understands, think about names and how much easier having them has made your life.

Julee Mitchelsin has been fascinated with the identity that names give to people and things for as long as she can remember. Learn more about the importance of names at www.namesgroup.info

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Names - It's An Identity Thing
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