Is It Fair to Judge People on Their Names Alone?
June 04, 2011, By P.K. Lassiter 2 comments
You do it. You know you do it. When you hear the name of someone you don’t know you immediately start sizing them up. Those mental images start flowing.
A name says a lot. Think about it. A Slinky wouldn’t be nearly as enticing if they decided it would be better served going by ‘The Coil’. Same with a Corvette. Wouldn’t be the same if they called it, say… a Chevelle.
Look at my name: P.K. Lassiter. The only reason I go by P.K. is because I never wanted to be known as Perry. And to top it off, they steal my name and use it in a bad film. It’s the bane of my existence.
So here’s a list of people’s names. I ask you to lock in on the first descriptive word that pops into your mind:
- Ira
- Hilda
- Tiffany
- Leon
For me, each one of these names invokes a certain image. None of them very flattering. Let’s start at the top.
Ira: Stodgy, decrepit Jewish man. Incapable of change and unwilling to even try. Who knows if he’s friendly; it could take years of persistent effort to find out.
Hilda: Doubles as a witch in her spare time. Warts all over. Hair falling out. Not attractive. Obviously she has very, very mean parents.
Tiffany: Airhead deluxe. Would be fun to hang with for a half an hour if you could pull her away from her vanity mirror, or her Barbies. And she’s 30.
Leon: Lazy. Big. Too sluggish to move and too cheerful to care about it. Easily findable.
Now, I know I’m not right. I’m not even close to right. But this is what happens when I hear these names. Maybe it’s not the same for you. Maybe you didn’t learn about people during the commercials of "Schoolhouse Rock." But I did.
And that’s why I warn you—don’t judge a book by its cover. Don’t judge a person by their name. Yes, it’s a cliché…but it’s a cliché because it’s true.
And let me just tell you, I know people with those names. And they’re nothing like the above descriptions. Ira is a very cool, ever-approachable executive. Hilda is a beautiful woman with a great kid and an incredible attitude—no ‘witchy-ness’ at all! Tiffany is an intelligent, generous PR badass. And Leon is a serious go-getter, always on the move.
So the next time you hear the name Sinbad or Ursula or Debbie or Todd, refrain from snap judgments. That person could be your potential husband or wife. Boss or assistant. Daughter or son. And then it will be your turn to buy them ‘The Coil’. Whoops…I mean Slinky.
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