Attribute to lowjumpingfrog
What’s in a name? If this question were posed in ancient times the answer would be a resounding, “A lot!” During this time in society a name was given for a purpose and not for superficial reasons, such as this name sounds good I’ll name my child this. Or, my favorite influential person name was this so I’m inspired to name my child the same. Not that there is anything wrong with this. But a name meant a lot. A name displayed a person’s identity. Like an archetype, the name was the “arche” or the original, the person was the “type’ or model.
Even in the word, “signature,” we see this occurrence of a name displaying an identity. Composed of two words, “sign” and “nature” whenever a person signed their name, they were quintessentially signing their nature. By looking at the symbol of a name the person was known. I know this possibly wasn’t true for all ancient people, but it was a common practice worth mentioning.
In this day, this practice isn’t common, so then what is it that gives us our identity and nature. Well, some of it is due to genetics. Some way somehow, we pick up mannerisms from our parents. Amazing how that happens. Parts of their nature becomes our own. Even if they have never met that parent and are miles away. However, most of our nature comes from our choice of ideas we choose to embrace. Therefore, our nature and identity derives from the ideas we choose to encapsulate as our system of belief.
So what’s the reason for this post? For you to define for yourself your nature and identity. What ideas would you like to embrace? Write them down. Make them your signature, or your distinctive mark on the world. Be unique. Be you.
Charles T. Robinson, JR. 