WHAT’S IN A NAME?

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Sea-Creature, by Dave Pollard


Several months ago I came across a site that described the impact of your name on your character and life progress. At the time someone in Salon Blogs was regretting their name and someone else said it had made them what they were. I don’t remember now who this all entailed or who put me onto the name analysis site (I think it might have been Friday Five). But I kept one of the links because I thought the analysis was intriguing.

The site was the Kabalarian Philosophy, an unusual secular society that originated more than a century ago in Vancouver, Canada. I looked at their site, and though most of what they said was, IMO, just silly, the analysis of my name was uncannily accurate:

The name of Dave creates a quick, analytical, and clever mind; you are creative, versatile, original, and independent. You have large ambitions, and it is difficult for you to be tolerant and understanding of those who desire less in life or who are more slow and methodical by nature. Patience is not your forte. You do, however, have leadership ability and would never be happy in a subservient position. You are ambitious and aggressive by nature. You would be happiest in positions where you are free to express individually and creatively and where opportunities are not restricted; you desire freedom, and do not tolerate being possessed by others. You appreciate change and travel, and the opportunity to meet and mix with others, and to influence them with your creative ideas. You are very self-confident and feel you can accomplish anything you set out to do, and you can, although, this name does not allow proper completion of undertakings, and forced changes cause financial losses and bitter experiences. This name also creates caustic expression and moods which prevent harmony and happiness in close association.

If you’ve read my About The Author bio, you’ll know why I was spooked by this. If you’re curious enough to try it out (use the name you normally use — full or shortened — when introducing yourself), you can find the analysis ‘form’ right on the home page link above — tell me if it was as good for you as it was for me.

My ‘sea creature’ above was constructed using one of the Java creativity tools from by Austrian web designer, artist and photographer Paul Schmidinger. The tools, available free, are at this site, and the artwork and photos are at this one. I recommend especially the Java ‘visual effect’ called ‘Tree’ on the first site. And the photo ‘snow and green and brown grass’  on the second site is stunning (click ‘gallery’ to get there from Paul’s DeviantArt home page). This guy’s brilliant.

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8 Responses to WHAT’S IN A NAME?

  1. O RLY YA RLY says:

    “Your first name of Harald has given you an expressive, diplomatic, and refined nature. Although you have a good appreciation of material values, business ability, and skill in organizing and managing others, your success is restricted by a lack of self-confidence and initiative. You have very expensive tastes, and your desires could well exceed your initiative in providing for them through your own efforts. Personal appearance is important to you. You are always well-groomed yourself, and you judge others by your own standard. You do not like to rough it or use much physical energy. Through your diplomatic ways you are able to call on the assistance of others to avoid such matters. You have good business judgment but lack the confidence to carry out your own ideas unless assisted by an associate.” I need a haircut.

  2. judith says:

    fascinating… all of the male names that i input returned strong, positive attributes peppered with very few deficits whereas all of the female names that i input – about 10 different names – all revealed less than admirable traits replete with weaknesses, emotional deficits and various other flaws and foibles… methinks, based on this limited sampling, there might be a certain gender based slant to these results… |^:mine follows – and alas i do not resonate with it in full:Your name of Judith has given you a generous nature. You will do your utmost to help others in need, despite inconvenience or even hardship to yourself. You are affectionate, and respond quickly to appreciation. As a child you were expressive. An imaginative, impressionable person, you could excel in the theatre as a dramatist or comedienne, and the enjoyment and appreciation of your audience would be your greatest inspiration. Fine as your nature is at times the power of your feelings is difficult to control as it unleashes itself through outbursts of temper. The name does not engender emotional stability; nor have you the system and order in your thinking always to finish what you start. Scattering of efforts interferes with success in your undertakings.

  3. Kate says:

    Love your artwork, Dave. It’s beautiful.

  4. Nui says:

    Thank you for sharing your art and link to the tools.The name analysis is a great fun, I’ve analysed my whole family’s name. With respect to my own, must say they’ve got it right (somewhat) and freaked me out a bit concerning the last sentence.”The name of Nui has given you organizing ability as well as an expressive, positive, and self-confident nature. You are able to work well with people and can capably direct their activities. You enjoy music and art, and love to meet and mix with people. An appreciation for quality has prompted you to strive for the best standard in dress, material possessions, and choice of food. On occasion, you can be intolerant and critical of others, quick to argue and to dominate situations. Though the name offers a fair degree of balance, you would have to watch that strong appetites do not find an outlet through excessive eating, causing overweight and resultant problems, or through emotional experiences which could create unsettled conditions in your personal life.”

  5. Rayne says:

    Judith — did you happen to try variants of your name? Assuming you aren’t using a pseudonym, try Judy, Judi, Judie or others — you’ll be shocked at the differences between them.My given name has been a strong match for earlier portion of my life, but my pseudonym’s analysis fits my current life quite closely. Interesting; I wonder if others perceive me differently under my pseudonym to the same degree?

  6. judith says:

    thanks for the recommendation rayne but i did not find any of the pseudonyms attenuated any more closely… it’s a neat tool, and startlingly accurate for ‘dave’… (^:obviously not necessary to be accurate across the entire population of ‘judiths’ in the world [google alone has ~6M references to my given name, many of whom are quite impressive and i am in the process of documenting a handful of them on my weblog in a “notable judiths” series – professors, senators, astronauts, writers]thanks again rayne… (^:

  7. Nicole says:

    Hi Dave,the result for my name wasn’t anything interessting, but the link to grappa was. You probably can’t read german, but if you visit my website, you will notice a background picture looking very familiar in a way. :o) Not only are your articles a must have daily visit which make someone think but this link to Paul Schmidinger is great. As you describe yourself – not quite able to draw like gifted people – it’s the same with me. With Grappa, nearly everything is fine. I have made about 50 different sidebar versions and about 20 ‘full pictures’ for my desktop (with changed size and height of the drawing piece). So, thanks again :o)

  8. debrakadabra says:

    Hi Dave: I would stay away from the Kabalarian Phylosophy. It’s a cult, whose “spiritual” leader is a convicted pedophile. My older sister is in it, has been for 23 years, and is totally brainwashed. I don’t know who she is anymore, nor do I think she does either. This group pulls you in with name analysis, and then proceeds to have you change your name, to let go of your past, and then to especially not contact your family anymore…..this is all done through a gold thread. This group attracts gullible, and weak people – the follower types. Avoid it at all costs. Make your life your own, and question everything.

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