"John Clark" wrote on
Wed, 16 Aug 2000 10:34:43 -0400
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Eliezer S. Yudkowsky <sentience@pobox.com> Wrote:
>> I've been thinking of switching recently - either to my
middle name, or to something completely new, like "Ben Abard".<<
>Don't do it Eliezer! I'll grant you that a normal person in
our culture with a name like "Eliezer S. Yudkowsky" might be
under a disadvantage, but you're not a normal person and your
ideas are not of the average sort, so you should have an unusual
name, it's an advantage. There once was a unsuccessful singer
who had a mundane sounding name, I forget what it was but it
was almost as dull and forgettable as "John Clark", anyway he
changed it to "Engelbert Humperdink" and immediately became very
successful. I think Arnold Schwarzeneger's name has helped him
too.<
I agree with John, except on two points: First, "John Clark"
is a solid name and one that conjures up a distinguished image.
My father's name is John Clark and in his hay-day was an accomplished
art director in New York city. Perhaps I'm a bit biased (:-),
but regardless, "Clark" is substantial, I think and it was my
one-word signature for many years. Second, although I really
like Eli's name, he could reconfigure the letters in his name
to create one word, two, or three words that are striking and
memorable.
However, knowing Eliezer and the warm smile that illustrates
his face, by keeping his original name he could surprise those
who might expect a different sort of ideological baggage resorting
from his name's tradition.
I also think Arnold Schwarzenegger's name helped him. (By the
way, Max and I saw him at the gym on Sunday and wow.)
FM Esfandiary changed his name and many couldn't make the connection
to FM-2030. Esfandiary conjured up a West Asian tradition which
he wanted to shed, but which was pivital to much of his thinking
and which spurred his visionary ideas about the future. It was
much of that region's dogma that he rebelled against which propelled
his passions.
Natasha
-- who didn't feel in sync with Nancie, but really is fond of
Clark, however shedding it for Vita-More.
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