# Is my username stupid? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 19, 2005, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910 "2005-06-19T13:01:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/41 "2005-06-20T09:06:44Z")
> [@Sophistry and Illusion](#): > > Yup. From David Hume’s _Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding_. I’m hoping that if I can keep in mind that Hume would commit every word I have every written professionally to the flames, it will help me keep my ego in check. What kind of writing is this? Actually, Hume is on my reading list (the one that I’ll never get round to), since he’s referred to a lot by Karl Popper, who, though he doesn’t agree with some of his theories on knowledge, cleary respects him. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/42 "2005-06-20T09:21:55Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > What kind of writing is this? Actually, Hume is on my reading list (the one that I’ll never get round to), since he’s referred to a lot by Karl Popper, who, though he doesn’t agree with some of his theories on knowledge, cleary respects him. I’m a philosophy professor. Well, associate professor. ---
**Author:** ![Kitchen\_Wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kitchen\_Wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kitchen_Wench)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/43 "2005-06-20T09:33:15Z")
> [@Sophistry and Illusion](#): > > I hate people whose usernames imply that they take themselves too seriously (e.g., “Seeker of Truth” and stuff like that). ☹ I hope when you see my name you don’t think I take myself seriously. I took it from the Who song. I believe “The Seeker” was already taken, so I added my birth year (after that, I found out that some Dopers find numbers in usernames irritating ☹☹ ) Anyway, the song sorta describes how I feel on certain GD-worthy topics. I’m totally witless and couldn’t think of anything else. I would have used my old standard, nuttygirl (which describes me more accurately), but it was already taken. Since I registered, I came up with a few more names. But I ain’t changin’. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/44 "2005-06-20T09:38:59Z")
> [@Seeker74](#): > > ☹ > I hope when you see my name you don’t think I take myself seriously. I took it from the Who song. No, you’re fine. 😉 But I keep expecting to get pitted any minute now by some lurker who has had the name Seeker of Truth for years. ---
**Author:** ![Kitchen\_Wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kitchen\_Wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kitchen_Wench)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/45 "2005-06-20T09:42:14Z")
Whew! And by the way, I like your name. It rolls off the tongue nicely. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/46 "2005-06-20T11:49:37Z")
> [@Sophistry and Illusion](#): > > I guess it’s hard to have a self-deprecating username which is an obscure reference to an 18th-century philosopher. May I have the honour of calling “Sig line”? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/47 "2005-06-20T11:57:34Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > May I have the honour of calling “Sig line”? 🙂 Be my guest. Your username is much more user-friendly–a lot more people read sci-fi than David Hume! ---
**Author:** ![Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Licentious_Ectomorph)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/48 "2005-06-20T12:05:39Z")
Ah, **Sophistry and Illusion** , a brother (sister?) in OCD. 😉 I obsessed over my original username; I thought it was bland and boring, and I felt out of place among all the clever, fun usernames here. So a few months ago I changed to this one…and now I wonder if I was trying _too_ hard. :dubious: Oh well, I’d never be satisfied no matter how many times I changed it, so it’s just as well that I can’t change it any more. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/49 "2005-06-20T12:31:07Z")
> [@Licentious Ectomorph](#): > > Ah, **Sophistry and Illusion** , a brother (sister?) in OCD. 😉 > > I obsessed over my original username. Cool username. 🙂 I would have joined months earlier if I could have thought of a satisfactory username. It seemed like such a big commitment, naming myself. I’ll be stuck with this name for as long as my withering fingers are able to click on “Post Reply” and my failing eyes can discern rolleyes from smilies! Yikes! (My big problem is (for the economist types out there) I’m a maximizer, not a satisficer.) (BTW, I’m your _brother_ in OCD.) ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/50 "2005-06-20T13:01:05Z")
I think it’s lame. It’s too long for others to type. The word “sophistry” is sort of uppity. The combination of “sophistry and illusion” gives your name a high-brow air, and the fact that it describes a “low brow” method of argument seems to indicate that you’re being even more uppity by trying to pull off some sort of irony. Get a username that’s easy to read and type. Sometimes people have to refer to you in their posts. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/51 "2005-06-20T13:54:51Z")
Usernames with numbers irritate some other users? Yikes! I didn’t get the memo! > [@](#): > > I’m a philosophy professor. Well, associate professor. Interesting. I look forward to your posts in the future. > [@](#): > > I have considered compiling a database of Hume quotes and pulling a random one for my signature after every post, e-mail, etc. I haven’t because I am generally not fond of signatures. But I might someday. Do it if possible. That would be great. Speaking of sig lines: ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/52 "2005-06-20T14:00:38Z")
Yes, your username is extremely stupid. STUPID AND MEANINGLESS!!! I ought to know, mine is irefutably sophomoric. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/53 "2005-06-20T18:15:36Z")
Drawback of this username: Results of vanity searches may be dominated by a fair number of Great Debates trainwrecks. (Presumption is that by the time posters start accusing one another of sophistry, the debate will have devolved to virtual flinging of verbal feces.) ---
**Author:** ![RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RancidYakButterTeaParty)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/54 "2005-06-20T18:31:11Z")
What you need is a meaningless username like…uhm…mine. I will suggest going with Flukenstikerforkenbob. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/55 "2005-06-20T19:27:45Z")
🆒 I like your name . I don’t pretend to understand it but I like the sound of it . My user name is a combo of my 2 dog breeds- **PAP** illons and Gordon **SETT** ers , but most people don’t know that . Some think it has to do with a gynocological exam… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/56 "2005-06-20T20:11:12Z")
I like it, I got it, and I’ve never taken an philosophy class. (Wouldn’t have gotten Hume without google, but did have a referent for the quote. I don’t think its pretentious. Of course, almost no one “gets” mine, but “getting” my user name isn’t really part of the point. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/57 "2005-06-20T20:14:13Z")
Oh I didn’t know Sophistry meant stupid! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/58 "2005-06-21T02:33:48Z")
> [@Sophistry and Illusion](#): > > I’m a philosophy professor. Well, associate professor. That narrows it down a bit. Not many of them in these here parts. A question I always pose to philosophy folk. Do you believe in absolute truth? However you may wish to define it. Anticipating your next question. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/59 "2005-06-21T06:37:38Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > A question I always pose to philosophy folk. Do you believe in absolute truth? Yup. But I won’t say more, for fear of hijacking my own thread! ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910/60 "2005-06-21T07:50:23Z")
Perhaps we should start a new one on the difference between manifest truth and objective truth, or some such thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-username-stupid/308910.md?page=4)