Matteeboy

EXACTLY!

Infractme!

Perhaps you'd like to read the link on the previous page and reconsider your opinion?

PeteBrant

Hardly a scientific study, then.


Basically, if you judge a child, or person, based on thier name, then you are ****ing idiot ( and are probably called "Bobby-Joe" )

Infractme!

It's a fact people do it. Whether they are idiots or not is another matter. I didn't claim it was a 'scientific study' merely that a group of teachers have made statements that support my contention.

Also please note I haven't at any point said I agree or disagree with it. It's merely a fact. I can't help but think you and the guy from cornwall seem to have missed that point.

PeteBrant

Thing is, a group of teachers talking light-heartedly does not back up your claim to any significant degree. I don't agree it's a fact that people by and large, base what a person is like on thier name. And it is virtually impossible to prove one way or the other.

Matteeboy

Pete - Thanks for stepping in an adding intelligent but concise points here.

InFract seems to have to resort to patronisation again and again when he "loses" a debate. Very weak minded "tactic."

Some names seem unusual but they soon become "normal." Take "Brad" for example - Almost a bit of a Yankee redneck type name. But it seems normal now Brad Pitt is so well known.

PeteBrant

Well I don't know about that. To be fair I have never had a problem - But then 9/10 I agree with what he/she says. Just not on this occasion. Certainly not going to go down the personal route, though.

Infractme!

Cornwall guy:-I certainly haven't patronised anyone and this debate isn't one that it's possible to win or lose. The only person who had let themselves down here is you by resorting to childish insults.
What's quite amazing is that while simultaneously denying that people make value judgements based on names you are doing so yourself- 'Brad'. You're proving my point for me.

Pete, the link I posted may not back up my claim to any significant degree however it does provide some evidence. I haven't seen any evidence from you or anyone else that names don't have any influence on people's perception of an individual. Can you then admit that there appears to be more evidence that it does than there is evidence to suggest it doesn't?

Or would that be too difficult for you?

PeteBrant

No, I can admit that much. There seems to be some anecdotal evidence that some people judge other people on thier name. I can't go as far as saying it's a widespread fact though.

I think it's my brain protecting me from the sense of despair I will feel if it were true

Matteeboy

InFract - Why call me "Cornwall Guy?" - It's not hard to work out that I'm called Matt is it?

My example of the name Brad is that I have learned that what might sound unusual actually isn't - People tend to learn all sorts of things as they grow up and little prejudices we might have had when young, soon prove themselves to be utterly pointless.

The name thing is a perfect example.

Oh and...

"I certainly haven't patronised anyone..."

"Or would that be too difficult for you?"

Splendid own goal.

Infractme!

Personally I think it's safe to assume that if people make value judgements about others based on something as trivial as the car they drive that names will have at least as much impact.

Matteeboy

Of course they do but I also think that most people with half a brain will write off these "judgers" as a complete waste of time.

Which is basically what I've been saying all along.

Devildog

LOL

2 girls turn up for a highly paid, client facing job in a professional work environment.

One is called Chardonnay Bianca Smith....and one is called, say, Fiona Jane Thomson. Both have similar qualifications.

If you honestly think the person hiring isn't going to be influenced by the name to at least some degree then I would suggest you are living in alternate reality.

It may well change with time, of course, but the fact remains that different classes of families in general will choose different types of name for their kids.

Peer pressure plays a massive part. Its great that you don't judge, but sadly many do.

Karl 227

Don't mind me, guys, special delivery for all those people sat in the back row, excuse me

Infractme!

I don't like your user name 'matteeeeboy' it sounds mawkish and childish to me. That's why I didn't use it. If you'd like to be called Matt that's fine.

My comment 'would that be too difficult for you' wasn't directed at you but in any case it isn't patronising. I was asking Pete if admitting that my point about names seems to have more evidence in favour of it than his stated viewpoint would be hard to do.

BTW your comments about the name Brad that I've just quoted agree precisely with what I'm saying. That people are influenced by names. Whether that's a good or bad thing isn't a debate I've been having. I haven't expressed an opinion either way.

Matteeboy

...and if you're lifestyle/work means you have to mix with such people, then you really are wasting your time.

Having recruited many people, names wouldn't matter in the slightest.
I did however recruit (IT) for a large Welsh company many years ago.
However well qualified our candidates were, if an Asian name was on the CV, it was rejected.
One day we "Anglicised" an Asian name, he got an interview but that was it.

A less qualified guy got the job

Infractme!

Matt it doesn't matter whether the 'judgers' are wrong or right. The point is they will be judging and the baby with the 'crap' name may well suffer as a result of it.

BTW your post above neatly proves my point yet again. I'm starting to wonder if you actually understand what I'm saying here.

Matteeboy

Errmmmm - Keep 'em coming!

Anyway, this is getting nowhere. I actually agree that many judge on names. They just aren't worth giving the time of day to. If you are forced to interact with such people, change your lifestyle immediately.
And cancel that Daily Mail delivery.

Infractme!

Finally Matt admits I'm correct. People judge others on their names. I'll take back what I said before. It is possible to win this debate and I just have.

I don't read the Mail either.

BTW as you have acted mawkish and childish on this thread I think my judgement was based on that as much as the monicker.

Devildog

We may be getting the point here

It's a pretty obvious fact that most people aren't really that intelligent though Matt.

Of course individuals should be judged ontheir own merits, and no one point, be that (as in this case) a name, or an accent, their appearance, (the dogs they own ) or indeed a handful of words on an internet forum

Unfortunately that's not how it works for the majority. I see it time and time again. I see it on this BBS regularly.

The fall out from that is that unless you are prepared to acknowledge that judgemental people exist, you may well as a parent be unfairly prejudicing your children by giving them a name which many will make assumptions upon in isolation.

Simply dismissing them as idiots (which they may well be) isn't going to help your kids long term.

And as a final question, ask yourself honestly what you thought when the Beckhams named their kids. Or When Jordan and Peter Andre decided on Princess Tiaamii.

PeteBrant

I would say the car someone drives tells you far more about the person than thier name does.

A car will give you an indication as to persons income, thier taste, thier priorites, whether they are likely to have a family, how much pride they take in appearance and so on.

You can garner far more information about someone from their can than you can thier name.

Infractme!

That's another debate.

However I know a guy who drives a 2.0ltr Legacy estate 1995. Tell me something about him.

Matteeboy

I know a guy who drives a beaten up old (20+ year) BMW 316i.

He is disgustingly good looking, has a stunning wife and little girl, is regularly on TV as he's probably the best person in the UK at his job, and owns a great house in the Cotswolds and another in Sicily.

I have long since stopped judging anyone on what they drive!

I'm assuming Legacy guy is incredibly successful? The sort of car owned by a big landowner "in the know".

Unlike many new M3s (for example) which are driven by shaven headed grown up yobs with £40k of the car on loan.

I plan to avoid exposing my kids (first due soon) to anyone who judges them on such things as names.

richardg

[richardg arrives with beer delivery and joins spectators in back row...not forgetting the all-important bottle opener ]
http://www.needmorebeer.com/img/leffe-blond.jpg

PeteBrant

Steady on there. Since when has there been a "winner" and "loser" in this debate? You certainly haven't convinced me that the majority of peopel base thie ropnion sof a person on thier name. I had accepted that there is anecdotal evidence of it. But I could easily gather opposing anecdotal evidence by asking people at work.

PeteBrant

Ah, now that's completely different issue.


You are juding the parents on what name they give thier children - Not the actual children themselves - You are talking about something entirely different that prejudice against someonw because of thie rname.

Devildog

My lifestyle is currently to an extent dependent upon my job and my job brings me into contact with such people.

To be fair, being out in public brings me into contact with such people so quite how you can avoid it completely is beyond me.

However, the combination provides a greater proportion of each and every week largely spent pursuing both my, and my wife's leisure interests - so hardly wasting my/our time

That such prejudices exist isn't the problem Matt, its a) not knowing that they do, b)not recognising to whom they apply and c) not dealing with them appropriately that is the problem.

Devildog

Yes, however you would only be judging the parents because you know that the kids may face ridicule in later life.

If Princess Tiaamii was as "normal" as Sarah, the parents would not be judged, would they?

PeteBrant

THat's precisely my point - When a child is named something ridiculous, you judge the parents. You don't think "Oh, that baby is called Apple Crumble, she is going to be thick as ****/a chav"

stilover

So even before she'd met her pupils, she'd already made her mind up who she was going to give a hard time to. Ignoring a child, or telling off a child (when another child with a different name wouldn't be) is wrong and IMO gross misconduct. Straight away she's going to mark down, say an essay because she has it in her mind that it's no good even before she's read it.

It just goes to show that people like Infractme are indeed complete Muppet's. The type of person who when given a job with authority abuses that authority for their own self gratification. Probably the very same people who were picked on at school.

Perhaps the real reason Infractme doesn't want to disclose his real name is because it's a posh toff name, like Cedric, or Arther. Being kicked up the @rse every day while at school has obviously had a lasting effect on his life.