What's in a name?

Why was such a big deal that Romeo was a Capulet and Juliet was a Montague? Why was Dwight so insistent on being labeled as “Assistant Regional Manager” rather than “Assistant to the Regional Manager”? Why do I, having my official title be “Legal Assistant,” hate being called a “Legal Secretary?” Does it really make a difference? After all, “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

What is it about titles and labels that makes us so crazy? Why can’t we all just be confident about who we are and not let a name or label bother us? Even if we have the title that we want, why is it so important for us to have other people recognize it? Well, because at the end of the day, it really does matter what people think and how they perceive us.

Growing up, society taught me a way to perceive secretaries. It was a woman’s job, and the tasks seemed to be really trivial. Something anyone could do, but something men were too good to do. Secretaries answered phones, ordered lunches, scheduled meetings, nothing really that complicated. My perception of secretaries may be different from someone else's, but that’s how I see it.

With Dwight, it was more of a succession issue. In his opinion, if he was Assistant Regional Manager that meant he was next in line to be in charge after Michael. To him, adding that “to” into the label, changed the definition of the role he played in the office. In reality, it really didn’t make a bit of difference because it didn’t change his job responsibilities.

When people work hard to achieve their goals, they want something to show for it. It’s tacky (again, according to society) to boast about how much money you’re making, so the only thing you really have to show for it is your title. “I’m Jane Smith and I make 2 million dollars every year,” or “I’m Jane Smith and I’m the CEO of Fortune 500 Company.”

All of this is also related to why I get annoyed when someone accidentally calls me Salima or Saima. A name is like a box and enclosed in it are all of the individual’s accomplishments. So when someone calls me Salima, it’s like they’re denying me of everything I’ve accomplished.

So, the next time you’re at Starbucks and you see someone spell out their name for the barista to label their coffee cup correctly, smack them upside the head and call them crazy. That’s just taking it a little too far.