False name with friends?

[Forfe]

Send it to:

THUNDERCOCK
P.O. Box 1399
Los Angeles, CA 90035

Reminds me of McLovin from Superbad.

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

Now, is that a family name?

Survey says!




(yes.)

 

[Athenian200]

Do you use a false name, or a false identity with friends you've known at least 1 year or more?

I gather that it's paranoid trait to do this.

I've mildly suspected this of some of my friends.

I've personally entertained the idea that I might do it in another country.

Mostly I've thought that my idea of individuality and anonymity might best be served by telling just little enough.. not by falsificating anything that's real.

Web pseodonymity is another thing.

So what do you know? Have you ever convinced another person that you were of different name, in real life?

Web incidents have nothing whatsoever to do with this query. We all know that you can pretend to be anything you want on the web.

Actually, I've never lied about who I was to anyone I've met in person. Although I do keep secrets and reveal very little about myself to most people, except for a few I trust. If I ever changed my name, I might not tell people what my real name used to be... does that count?

 

[Roger Mexico]

Do you use a false name, or a false identity with friends you've known at least 1 year or more?

I gather that it's paranoid trait to do this.

I've mildly suspected this of some of my friends.

I've personally entertained the idea that I might do it in another country.

Mostly I've thought that my idea of individuality and anonymity might best be served by telling just little enough.. not by falsificating anything that's real.

Web pseodonymity is another thing.

So what do you know? Have you ever convinced another person that you were of different name, in real life?

Web incidents have nothing whatsoever to do with this query. We all know that you can pretend to be anything you want on the web.

No. Never. That's really weird, and only moderately insane. Unless you had to do it in order to testify against the Mafia or something.

 

[Colors]

I think about it. But I think the only instance of me lying about my name is to the Old Navy (clothing store) fitting room person (because I was surprised and puzzled by their new "write patron's name on fitting room door" policy. In order to wield their new personal power over me?? I have no idea.) And I've lied about my zip code to other retail places (Why is it any of their beeswax? I recognize that it might be either a research thing or a sales tax thing, but shouldn't sales tax depend on the location of the purchase, not the residence of the purchaser?).

I think about making up outrageous lies all the time recently though. It appeals to me. Who can I be? How far can I lie while still being believable? Not to take advantage of people, just for the freedom of being who(m?)ever for a precious 5 minutes. Knowing myself, I am not likely to institute this habit I am not a particularly deceptive person (nor am I skilled at such as I am much too self-aware when I do).

I sometimes "suspect" my friends are "lying" too. Usually in vague general wondering more than paranoid..ness. Who knows? How much do you know about people? But I decided it didn't really matter to me. If they were lying about their names would I really care? I would be intrigued, but it wouldn't really change my relationship with them. Now if they were deceiving me about the funniness of my jokes- that's cause for worry.

 

[Athenian200]

I think about it. But I think the only instance of me lying about my name is to the Old Navy (clothing store) fitting room person (because I was surprised and puzzled by their new "write patron's name on fitting room door" policy. In order to wield their new personal power over me?? I have no idea.) And I've lied about my zip code to other retail places (Why is it any of their beeswax? I recognize that it might be either a research thing or a sales tax thing, but shouldn't sales tax depend on the location of the purchase, not the residence of the purchaser?).

That makes sense.... I mean, do you really want them to be able to send you advertisements or something? It doesn't really benefit you to give out your information in that case. I just wouldn't do that because I'm paranoid they'd find out I was lying and have me arrested for it.

I think about making up outrageous lies all the time recently though. It appeals to me. Who can I be? How far can I lie while still being believable? Not to take advantage of people, just for the freedom of being who(m?)ever for a precious 5 minutes. Knowing myself, I am not likely to institute this habit I am not a particularly deceptive person (nor am I skilled at such as I am much too self-aware when I do).

I have elaborate daydreams, but I don't think of good/believable lies very often, unless the lie is very simple, like saying I did something I was supposed to do when I didn't, or vice-versa. And then it's usually to extricate myself from a precarious predicament.

I sometimes "suspect" my friends are "lying" too. Usually in vague general wondering more than paranoid..ness. Who knows? How much do you know about people? But I decided it didn't really matter to me. If they were lying about their names would I really care? I would be intrigued, but it wouldn't really change my relationship with them. Now if they were deceiving me about the funniness of my jokes- that's cause for worry.

I would be sad they didn't trust me, because it would make me think they felt I wasn't trustworthy. I probably wouldn't be angry at them for it, though.

 

[Dansker]

I had a guy introduced to me at uni as Sam; he became friends with the group of people that I hung out with and we all got to be quite close friends.

About 6 months into our friendship we were looking at license photos and when he took his out to show us, we noticed that his first name was David. When we asked why he was called Sam as well, he said that he wasn't really called Sam, but because that was how we all (incorrectly!) introduced to him, he didn't want to correct us, and that over time he got used to it and even kind of liked it.

We all thought it was kind of odd.

The weirdest thing was that when I rang him and his mother or father answered the phone and I asked to speak to Sam, they seemed to know that it was him that I wanted to speak to.

Had I been in his shoes, I'd have just corrected the person that introduced him to us in the first instance.

It's never entered my mind to introduce myself to someone with anything other than the name that I currently have.

 

[wildcat]

Do you use a false name, or a false identity with friends you've known at least 1 year or more?

I gather that it's paranoid trait to do this.

I've mildly suspected this of some of my friends.

I've personally entertained the idea that I might do it in another country.

Mostly I've thought that my idea of individuality and anonymity might best be served by telling just little enough.. not by falsificating anything that's real.

Web pseodonymity is another thing.

So what do you know? Have you ever convinced another person that you were of different name, in real life?

Web incidents have nothing whatsoever to do with this query. We all know that you can pretend to be anything you want on the web.

Some people may have a sound reason to guard their identity.

Do not jump into conclusions.

Most things are done for a purpose.

Get a job abroad.

 

[Mempy]

It's never entered my mind to introduce myself to someone with anything other than the name that I currently have.

Me either. There are so many negatives to introducing yourself with a false name to people in real life, and so many positives to being truthful and unfalse. For one thing, I just wouldn't have the presence of mind to remember a new name. Here's what would happen if, say, I used my middle name:

Average Jane: "Nicole. Nicole? Hey, Nicole!"
me: "Oh, what, huh? Who are you talking to?"
her: "You!"
me: "I'm no--ohhhh!"

I did have a nickname in high school that about half of everyone I knew called me by. It was Jojo, and I really liked when people used that nickname for me. But it at least comes from my real name, which is Joelle (which rhymes with Noel).

 

[Ghost of the dead horse]

Some people may have a sound reason to guard their identity.

Do not jump into conclusions.

Most things are done for a purpose.

Get a job abroad.

Yeah, I guess so. The one I've thought of works in the kind of business where it may be important to protect identity.

I was just wondering, why not do it the other way? Why not write a different name on your ID card if you're afraid of revengeful customers? If I have to answer myself, perhaps there are laws about how security personel may present themselves.

I would still consider myself paranoid if I was worried or strongly suspected false identity without adequate reason. If I'd catch someone using a false name without no good reason, I'd thought they're paranoid. Yet, I'm just following the evidence and contemplating on what I've seen, trying to make the best conclusions. If someone wants to do what they do, that's their business.

On the other hand, I don't like the idea that some people would be so deceitful or exploitative with their "friends" that they would have to keep a different name to protect their lifestyle.

 

[Xander]

I fail to see the point of lying to people these days though there is a growing number of people who refer to me as Xander even after they find out that's not what most people irl call me. Well bar one who still uses derivations of Xini but she's special

 

[substitute]

I'm just trying to think of situations a person could be in where they might legitimately want to do this. It could be that you have a very bad past that you've sorta put behind you, perhaps painful or maybe shameful, and you don't want to be connected with it because you've moved on. It could be that you plan to tell people once you've learned to trust them, but don't seem to manage to find the right moment, or maybe you just do have a problem trusting them.

I don't tell people my former name, but that's because I've had experience of people (ab)using it to taunt me and humiliate me. I don't even tell people I trust, because once you tell one other person, it's no longer under your control as to who else knows. Even if you trust that person not to abuse the knowledge, I've learned the hard way that there are very, very few people on this earth who you can truly trust to keep a secret. And it's not just because of that either - my children's safety depends on it, which is too big a deal to risk by indulging my desire to trust someone or their need to be trusted.

I can imagine someone wanting to do it just to play with a new identity in a new town. It wouldn't really bother me though... a rose by any other name etc... if someone's deceitful in a bad way, I would probably be able to tell it from other parts of their behaviour, without needing to find out they used a false name before I realized they were dishonest. If no spider-sense was triggered in me from them, then I'd imagine that even if I did find out, I'd figure they had a legitimate reason for it, and hear them out.

 

[CzeCze]

Do you use a false name, or a false identity with friends you've known at least 1 year or more?

I gather that it's paranoid trait to do this.

I've mildly suspected this of some of my friends.

I've personally entertained the idea that I might do it in another country.

Mostly I've thought that my idea of individuality and anonymity might best be served by telling just little enough.. not by falsificating anything that's real.

Web pseodonymity is another thing.

So what do you know? Have you ever convinced another person that you were of different name, in real life?

Web incidents have nothing whatsoever to do with this query. We all know that you can pretend to be anything you want on the web.

(BTW, I didn't read the other posts past page 1.)

First, my real name is pretty unique. I have never met another person with the same name as me, similar maybe, but not the same.

So when when I first started PA-ing on independent sets, I used different names. That way, if I really messed something up, people might complain about someone named 'Stacy' or 'Jessica' but what would that have to do with me? Hee hee hee.

Also, when I order things online or when I'm out in public and need to use services like pick up dry cleaning or lunch or get my hair did, I use different names. I'm paranoid like that.

As for using a new name, that's common for 'third culture kids' or children of immigrants, cross culturally adopted children, multiracial children. Also for practical and/or political reasons for gender deviants, queers, and transitioned/transitioning people. Basically people who live in different spaces simultaneously and/or who move through different worlds.

You have a birth name or maybe an Americanized name you used until college or some enlightening quarter life crisis event, then you go by another name (birth name, legal name, a new name you create for yourself).

I know a number of people who are known by at least 2 names, depending on when and how you met the person.

The idea in itself doesn't bother me at all. Sometimes it's assumed from knowing the person, in the case of transgendered folks or 1st and 2nd generation folks. Though in othe cases it is nice to be informed of the fact you changed your name -- even if you don't disclose what that name was.

It's pretty common.