Murdaugh and Murder Rhyme
The Subconscious Fat of Our Names
Before I can even start, Mr. Skeptical jumps in. “Why did you use the name Murdaugh in the title today?”
“Because I’m writing about how our names impact our lives.”
“But why do you have to use the infamous case of Alex Murdaugh? Who was recently found guilty of killing his wife and son?”
“Because it’s an infamous case, and I want to draw attention to this newsletter.”
Mr. Skeptical shakes his head with a disgusted look on his face. “Don’t you feel sleazy and cheap using the Murdaugh name and image?”
“Nope. I want to draw attention to this newsletter, and if you don’t like it, you can kiss my ass.”
Mr. Skeptical slowly nods, with his lips protruding. I can tell; he’s planning on getting me back. He’s letting me get away with this one, but I know before this newsletter is over, he’ll fire back at me with a vengeful assault.
Subconscious Fat at 30,000 feet
I remember from grade school how often people’s surnames were given according to their profession. For example, in the English-speaking world, many names like Barber came from someone being a barber. However, in the Middle Ages, a barber would also do minor surgery and take out wisdom teeth.
“Ouch, that sounds painful. You’ve put a bad image in my mind. I can’t imagine taking a tooth out in the Middle Ages.”
“Yes, I’m sure it was a much more complicated and messy procedure back then.”
Names like Baker, Knight, and Shoemaker likely meant that if you have one of those names, you probably had an ancestor in that profession.
Sometimes, surnames were given to people who came from a particular place. For example, Hamilton was likely someone who came from that town. Names like Hills, Woods, and Brooks all stemmed from a geographic location and were used as last names.
Often, surnames were given to someone based on a relationship. For example, if one has ‘son’ at the end of the name (Ex. Watson, Nicholson, Johnson), this could mean the son of. For those of Spanish descent, if the surname ends in ‘ez’ (Ex. Gomez, Mendez, Martinez), this also means the son of. The Irish have Mac at the beginning of the surname, indicating the son of (Ex. MacDonald). Germans and Irish also use Fitz to mean the same (Ex. Fitzgerald).
Another intriguing way we may have gotten our names is based on what we wore or a common nickname. Surnames like Grey, Black, Brown, White, and Green simply meant it was a color one often wore. The last name Fox could indicate someone with red hair or a clever person.
“What does Diehl mean? I think of like a deal gone wrong.”
Mr. Skeptical always views anything about me negatively. “My last name Diehl is pronounced like a deal, like let’s make a deal. And I don’t appreciate your negative spin. A person can get a good deal and not a bad deal.”
“I can’t help myself. Sometimes unpleasant thoughts come up when I think of you and your name.”
After giving him a dirty look, I answer his question. “Diehl is German. It comes from the Germanic word meaning ‘tribe.’ It also is a shortened form of the German name Dietrich.”
I’ve spoken about how we get our surname because this can now bleed into our lives. It can become Subconscious Fat affecting our behavior. As a child, I remember thinking about friends’ names. For some reason, I attached meaning to people’s names. More emphasis was on a person’s first name, yet the last name also held power. Do humans have a genetic predisposition to give meaning to people’s names?
“It seems far-fetched to me,” replies Mr. Skeptical.
I hate it when he responds to a question I want you, the readers, to ponder. It’s so irritating. “Well, think about how now there’s evidence of trauma that can be passed down from generation to generation. It’s a real thing. If trauma can be passed down, then a natural inclination to apply meaning to a name likely does too, especially since surnames did have significance in the past. Maybe there’s no genetic component to giving names and surnames power, but I think there’s a psychological component.”
“I agree there may be a psychological component, but I don’t think it’s genetic.”
“Now, we’re going to dive into the psychological components of our names. Do our given names and surnames impact our lives?”
“The most important anchorage to our self-identity throughout life remains our name.” Gordon Allport, a well-known American psychologist
Subconscious Fat at 10,000 feet
Names can have good and bad consequences. For example, there’s evidence that after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, resumes with Arabic-sounding names were less likely to be interviewed. Our names affect how we feel and how others perceive us. Internally, one study by U.S. psychologist Jean Twenge indicated that humans who don’t like their names tend to have poorer psychological adaptive capabilities. This was found after controlling for family background and general dissatisfaction with life.
Another study was done, this time from the Institute of Psychology in Beijing, and found that our names can increase the likelihood of one becoming a criminal. The study done by Huajian Cai cross-checked hundreds of thousands of names affiliated with crimes. Statistically, a negative-sounding or unpopular name was associated with crime to a higher degree than average. This study also controlled for the bias of demographic and socioeconomic factors.
In another study in the Journal of Attitudes and Social Cognition, psychologist Brett Pelham found that our names influenced our career choices. They looked at all the dentists and lawyers in the U.S., finding higher numbers of humans named Dennis in dentistry and higher numbers of Laura and Lawrence in law.
Subconscious Fat at Eye-Level
So, I’ve concluded that without question, our names affect our lives more than we think. Our names provide us with much Subconscious Fat to look at. Could the surname Murdaugh have influenced murder in the Murdaugh family?
I think yes, without question. Starting in 2015, there was the mystery surrounding the death of Stephen Smith, then in 2018, the mysterious fall of Gloria Satterfield at the Murdough home, then the boating accident and death of Mallory Beach, where Paul Murdaugh was the driver of the boat, then the murder of Maggie Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh by Alex Murdaugh. I watched the Netflix documentary, which showed all the controversy surrounding these deaths. One can conclude that Alex Murdaugh is a murderer. Paul Murdaugh was at least guilty of manslaughter by being the driver of the boat that killed Mallory Beach, and possibly Maggie Murdaugh had something to do with the death of Gloria Satterfield, and perhaps one of the Murdaughs had something to do with Stephen Smith’s death.
“And I think that due to your name Hermann Diehl, you’re likely a Nazi and a bad person to deal with.”
I knew he had something waiting for me. I knew Mr. Skeptical just couldn’t keep quiet. “Maybe you should’ve been on the defense team for Alex Murdaugh. I look at it this way. One grows up his whole life being told yes to everything they ask. All the Murdaughs come from a very privileged and prestigious background. It makes a Murdaugh think that they can get away with anything. The last name happens to be Murdaugh, which rhymes with murder. So, it’s easier for a Murdaugh to think they can get away with murder.”
“What crimes have you committed, Hermann Diehl?”
“You’re insinuating earlier that I'm xenophobic because my first name is Hermann, which rhymes with German. That thinking means you’re racist, assuming all with a German name are bigots. I don’t believe myself to be racist.”
“No one ever made fun of your name when you were a kid?”
“Yes, some called me Hermy Squirmy, which made me think of my penis, which I guess is squirmy like all penises are. Herm-Germ was another nickname. That made me think maybe I had some contagious germs, which maybe I did, like many kids.”
Mr. Skeptical folds his arms and squints at me. “Well, like a skilled politician, you’ve avoided my question about the crimes you’ve committed.”
“This newsletter isn’t about any crimes I’ve committed. But, if I did, I may address them in a future issue.”
Mr. Skeptical slowly shakes his head from side to side. “Again, you answer just like a politician would. You’re hiding something.”
If looks could kill, Mr. Skeptical would be dead now.
And he continues, “No one ever pointed to you and a girlfriend and said, “Hermann, so you’re her man, huh? I bet she bosses you around?”
How old is Mr. Skeptical? 12? I’m going to ignore him.
But…I can’t. ” No one ever said that to me, and if they did, I have two n’s at the end of my name, so I’m more a man than a her.”
“Well, I wasn’t talking about that, but that shows your insecurity. It shows a little of your own Subconscious Fat.”
Practical Suggestions and Conclusions
When I was 12 years old or so, did I think I’m more a man than a her because I have two n’s at the end of my name? I may have thought that a little, but not too much. The truth is…I like my name. Hermann rhymes with German, and I do have German ancestry. So, I see this as an advantage. Germans make great cars and have the largest economy in Europe. I also think of my surname Diehl as a good thing. It makes me think that I find and make great deals. It makes me think I’m authentic by being the real Diehl.
My point is this. Realize that your name has power over you. Your name is subconsciously affecting you. However, you can turn it into something good. If you feel you can’t, it might be worth changing your name or viewing it as the opposite of what it appears to mean. Be fully aware of your name and find a way to make it empower you.
Hi, can you please explain the 30,000 feet and 10,000 feet thing?
I use the view from 30,000 feet then 10,000 feet to demonstrate the different angles and views we can see something. Sometimes something looks great from far, but as you get closer you realize it's far from good. So the different views from different heights shows how different people can perceive things, like separating the forest from the trees.
Thank you for your question Marlene.