NPR had a story this morning about a service in China that
helps people who are coming to the US select a “US” name. Many Americans have faced a
tough-to-pronounce Chinese name and are told by the individual “don’t worry
about it; just call me “Fred.” I have blogged about that before. But this service has a more strategic approach
than “Fred.” It helps Chinese from
selecting stripper names like “Twinkle”, confusing names like “Eleven”, or
unreal names like “Popeye.”
One example stood out at me and I wanted to ask for
opinions. One somewhat overweight client
selected the name “Phat.” You might
think that this is a poor choice. We
have historically looked at nicknames like “Fatty” as pejorative and
derogatory. And the service does warn
against this name for that reason. But
they also explain an interesting framing effect that I had never thought
of.
If all you do is announce your name is “Phat”, you will
probably be met with some muffled chuckles and an attempt to hide their
amusement. You become the silly, naïve,
chump. But if you frame it as a
self-deprecating nickname (a quality that many people might not culturally
associate with Chinese businessmen, but respect as a sign of self-confidence)
and that in China people get nicknames that really describe them and this is his
English example, there are some real advantages.
I am not sure if I agree that this is a good approach in
general. I can see it work in some contexts, but not in others. And for a Chinese person just coming to the
US, how can he know what context he will face?
But I can’t discard the idea completely because it does have a subtle
resonance with me. I want it to be a
good idea.
Your Turn
So I need your input on this one. What do you think? Would this fail 99% of the time? Succeed 99% of the time?
