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What does it mean to make a name for yourself? What is Fame? Our Self is our mystical Name, but our Name in the World comes from choice and circumstance. Our ideas reduce in time to epigrams; our life reduces to our epitaph; our deeds reduce to epithets; our influence nominates our groups and projects as eponyms. We gain formal titles such as "Doctor" or "Registered Nurse," and informal titles such as "the King of Barbecue." We take on the names of our office, as when I say, "I'm Daniel, Pine Rest's Peer Support Specialist." We inherit a set of nicknames, often playful and irreverent, but nevertheless telling, and often enough unfortunate. We gain a reputation for the deeds we publicize and the deeds we keep secret. A cloud of gossip and rumors surrounds us all; enemies may try to give us a bad name, and we may, if we are able, convert an evil altar, taking on the name of "Mormon" "Quaker" "Gay" or any of the other scowls meant to shame us as a badge of honor. Myths and legends compound themselves within our biographies and histories. A cluster of words surrounds our names: quotations, anecdotes, and also the judgments, praises and condemnations of others. If we gain a wide enough reputation, our influence becomes a school of thought ("Platonic philosophy") or an adjective ("Kafkaesque novel"). We may be referred to reverently or irreverently; our name becomes numinous and inspires awe or blasphemy. Kennings hide us and slant our face. Our Family name spreads genetically, our various relationships contain and situate us within a web, our spiritual name spreads through the deeds worthy enough to be nominated. In this way, we make a Name for ourselves, an enduring place in the phonosphere. If we are able to fully publish our inner Name, it will speak in this world and the next forevermore. Our eternal soul, as heaven, connects to the souls of other individuals and groups through our Spirit, our Name.
-- R ᴤ88s Я --
Perfection Is Easy
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