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More Middle Initials Make You Seem Smarter

posted by martyb on Wednesday May 07 2014, @02:47PM   
from the John-J-J-Schmidt dept.

Angry Jesus writes:

In light of two recent studies, expecting parents might consider doing a little social engineering when naming their children. New evidence suggests if you're trying to convey intelligence the more middle initials in your name, the smarter people will assume you to be.

Also, if you want to be trusted more, use a first name that everyone can pronounce. That effect seems to be in line with another study (not peer-reviewed) indicating short first names correlate with higher earnings.

Perhaps one should combine the two and just use initials for all but the surname, like J.P. Morgan?

• Smarter to Whom And In What Way? Smarter to Whom And In What Way? (Score: 2) by naubol on Wednesday May 07 2014, @03:36PM

  by naubol (1918) on Wednesday May 07 2014, @03:36PM (#40569)

  If short names correlate with higher earnings, whose to say that it isn't the other way around, that intelligent parents are more likely to have an intelligent children, more likely to give them a short name, and intelligent children are more likely to grow up and earn more? It may also have something to do with evolutionary psychology, parents give their kids short names to help them fit in, and those parents are more likely to be able to culture their children such that they succeed in our society.

  With respect to middle initials, is there any understanding whether this perception is had by the *right* people? Is there any understanding whether this perception is valuable? Does it contain downsides?

  Surely everyone has dated someone they thought was smart but completely uninteresting. Also, surely everyone has met people to hire who were smart but were disqualified for other reasons.

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• Re:Smarter to Whom And In What Way? (Score: 1) by cubancigar11 on Wednesday May 07 2014, @07:23PM

  by cubancigar11 (330) on Wednesday May 07 2014, @07:23PM (#40641) Homepage Journal

  You are taking this too seriously (which is probably why the title has been written that way).

  The important quote:

  the smarter people will assume you to be.

  Longer middle names are charecteristic of aristrocactic echoleons. We, the people, have long been trained to bestow the quality of smartness to that class.

  It will wear off, give it several more hundred years.

  Parent