[lit-ideas] Concerning the struggle to abolish first names (2)
- From: "phatic" <phatic@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2004 18:54:31 +0200
GeorgJohannesen:
CONCERNINGTHE STRUGGLE TO ABOLISH FIRST NAMES
_A contribution to the word class struggle as a Norwegian love story_
2. Before
Before I used to say:
- Call me Johannesen.
If I met new people, I would mumble:
- J-o-a-s-n.
People thought I said Johannesen, Johansen, Hansen, Johnsen, Jensen
and so on.
I was often misheard, but always misunderstood. When I mumbled my
last name, people thought I was modest and socially insecure. People
didn't understand how audacious I was. I was probably socially
insecure, but in my own way. I'll always manage, I thought. But what
about them? I trusted me, but not them, to put it simply.
I knew who I was. I didn't want to say what my name was, because then
they would have a hold on me. I wasn't for sale. I wasn't corrupt.
And I knew that people continued to be na=EFve enough to say their name
aloud, memorize it and remember what I, for instance, was called.
_Note:_
For a while, I thought of calling myself "I", as a first name, and
"We" as last name. Then I would introduce myself thus, loudly and
clearly:
ITISIWEGOODDAYYOUYOU.
My friends found it moderately funny. But I didn't get a bank loan.
On 2 Aug 2004 at 0:02, phatic wrote:
> 1. Introduction
> For many years I tried to have first names banned.
>
> I saw the use of first names as a Heathen-Christian practice or mal-
> practice, founded on word-magic and mystical thinking, thus pure
> idealism. The use of first names gave fertile soil for conspiracies
> between persons who had mutual knowledge of their names. First names
> gave a false sense of self. People one could expect more from, left
> names and addresses as if they lived in a safe society. Thus, the use
> of first names was corrupting, confusing and weakened the survival
> instinct. I struggled against first names for political reasons: I
> wanted to survive the 20th century!
>
> With the passing of years, my trust in my fellow people has increased
> steadily. Today I see no reason, consequently, to conduct my struggle
> alone, but rather to come out in the open in Windows* and ask for
> support from readers who share my basic outlook.
>
> Thus, my name is Georg Johannesen.
>
> I expect a series of anonymous mails.
>
> [Georg Johannesen, 'Om kampen mot bruk av fornavn', _Vinduet_ 1,
> 1972. Translated by T E Fjeld.]
--
phatic@xxxxxxxxxx
http://phatic.blogspot.com
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