A Rose By Any Other Name

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet"



The above well-known musings of Shakespear's Juliet suggest that the names we ascribe to objects entail an element of arbitrariness. They imply that the name given to an object is a mere matter of convention. A name - Juliet explains - does not change any of an object's qualities, nor - she might philosophize - does a name possess any real connection to an object's inherent properties.

A rose is a rose because we agree to call it so, and if we agreed to call it by any other name, all that makes a rose will continue; albeit under a different name.

But is this really so? Or is there a deeper connection between name and entity; a deeper connection between what we label an object and our experience of this object?



This post all came about because my husband has always said we should change our last name and I tell him there are so many WORSE names out there and it took me being married 5 years to finally get around to changing my social and drivers license. Not really wanting to go there again. In my work I see 100's of WORSE last names, and some pretty bad first ones also. Today, was the winner by far. Only because the first name is not a first name at all, I don't care what ethnicity or part of the country you live in this is not a first name. It is a verb. Secondly, the last name with this first name, well just makes this person very UNFORTUNATE. I don't know if this person is male or female, it doesn't matter, their parents hated them to give them this name.



Touch Seamon.

You get where I am going with this now, don't you? I am just putting it out there that the experience I have of this person who I don't know, is not good. I am pretty sure, male or female they would take the name Rose anyday.

A moment of silence for Mr. or Ms. Seamon, I think that's the least we can do.