Chapter 46
The Power and Peril of Names
OF NAMES What variety of herbs soever are shufed together in the dish, yet the whole mass is swallowed up under one name of a sallet. In like manner, under the consideration of names, I will make a hodge-podge of divers articles. Every nation has certain names, that, I know not why, are taken in no good sense, as with us, John, William, Benedict. In the genealogy of princes, also, there seem to be certain names fatally affected, as the Ptolemies of Egypt, the Henries in England, the Charleses in France, the Baldwins in Flanders, and the Williams of our…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Track Your Status Signals
Make two lists: one of the titles, labels, or credentials you mention about yourself, and another of the actual skills or qualities that make you valuable to others. Look at how much energy you spend maintaining the first list versus developing the second. Notice any gaps between what you project and what you actually deliver.
Consider:
- •Consider whether you're using titles to compensate for areas where you feel insecure
- •Think about whether others judge you by your labels or by how you actually treat them
- •Notice if you're more impressed by someone's credentials than their actual helpfulness or character
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you were impressed by someone's title or status, only to discover their actual character didn't match. How did that change how you evaluate people now?
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