Why do people change their username?

Just curious. Is it in response to a change in self-identity? An attempt to drive a new self-identity? To escape past deeds? Do you feel like the same person afterwards, and expect others to treat you the same way, or do you feel like and expect others to treat you like a new person?

To me, changing your username seems like the real world equivalent of changing your name and getting plastic surgery at the same time. And yet it’s not uncommon, whereas what I consider the real world equivalent is. What gives? Am I the only one who finds it weird?

no

I don’t see at as weird. People change things in their life, that they see as unsatisfactory images of themselves, and now I am revealingly

talking of myself here, because I am not quite sure
how other people feel.

A lot can be said about the style of one’s writing, it
says a lot about that person, and in an international
chat room more of intimate sharing goes on, sometimes a lot more then their actual life. That is, because, here they really cannot actually be seen,
except maybe a few photos and videos now and
then.

Then there are people who feel inadequate, and come
to a point where they mess up, and conclude that
wrong interjections describe them, and they decide to change the way they present themselves by a re-invention.

 I have a special needs problem about this, because, through my esoteric practice, of deluting  

my ego, I have had some questions come up
regarding my self, that has brought thoughts of possible personality problems to the for, with a possible case of multiple personality, or demonic
possession. Many traits competed within for
dominance, and at times I was brought to attention, which

now I realize, was the effect The Practice, of The Work, through meditative and other forms of self improvement.

These efforts may begin subtly, on an unconscious level at an early age,
having karmic overtones of attribution,where the soul
seeks to find balance among the many cut up psychic possibilities.

Finally,changing one’s identity, is no big thing anymore, with many people having multiple aliases,
for similar reason but usually with the added factor of covering some things in their life.They want to remake their life, have a new lease on credit history,
have some plastic surgery to enhance their
relationships, even change their sex so that they can leave as a different gender.

Here, at this forum, the changes are similar to the above , but toned down, one can change, they think, improving a bit, here and there, and as a
consequence, cut out the former person, who may
have been improved upon to the extent, that may shed a disadvantaged light upon the present person.

Some people are known by one name, may not be remembered by a past name, simply because of changes the style of their narratives to improve
upon it, or they changed it out of sheer desperation,
as a result of a slight they inflicted on another member, or alternatively, having themselves beenwere slighted.

I wonder, if, this practice of changing ID’s was disallowed here, how much different the atmosphere
be? Would it result in more honest narratives, or,
would it curtail the artistic freedom of expressing ideas from different points of view? Is it possible for some people to represent their voice through
objectified parts of themselves ,which otherwise may
remain silent?

Who knows? Do other writers retain an original impression, seeing through the deception of a changed but transparent identity?

I can only speak for myself, some people are totally inscrutable as far as ‘past lives’ , past ID’s are concerned, others, are clueless as regards to to a few people, but fairly certain, who others may have been.

For still others, their multiple selves may be a try at using a literary device, such as commonly found in novels, where different characters are representations of different parts of themselves. But I think this is rare, even here.

Carleas, If you’re trying to tell us something here, just say it. I’m kidding of course. :evilfun:

I think that when there is too much of a change in a username it can be simply a question of boredom, like someone changing clothes often. It’s the fashion.
It’s also done perhaps because, simply put, it CAN be done.

I think that sometimes it is just about shedding one’s old skin. We can feel it peeling away and at some point, it’s time to rip it off and throw it away. The new skin has grown beneath.

My purpose in becoming “descending” as opposed to "rising* even though in a sense you can think of it as opposite ends of the same pole was because I wanted to learn to think more deeply, I came to that realization, that I wanted to dive more into my thoughts. It’s worked a bit. :blush:

Have a great day, Carleas.

So that sounds like two votes for ‘growth’ as a reason. I can understand that, the metaphor of the snake skin is helpful. My name has changed meanings for me, which has allowed me to stay identified with it and not feel confined; the meaning has grown with me. I would probably be more open to changing it if the meaning of my name felt more concrete and fixed. My username is the etymological precursor of my family name, Corliss, so it’s guaranteed to stay relevant. I picked it because it’s root is literally “careless”, and I was going through a particularly apathetic phase, reading a lot of eastern religion and philosophy and being a stoner, and making a lot of bad life decisions that I chose to be indifferent about. But the actual meaning is more like “care free”, and I can still get behind that.

Arcturus, I actually really liked the progression of your usernames. It has a certain trajectory to it: first rising, to the weightless windwalker at the top of the parabola, and then the descending dive on the other side.

I know you’re kidding, but I would like to say that I really am only curious, and I don’t mean to shame anyone for their choice to change names or discourage changes in the future. I have no interest of standing in the way of anyone’s self-definition.

I can see it two ways. Sure there could be the metamorphosis sort of application, the “caterpillar” renaming itself “butterfly”. There is also the “shit” was I a tard and got banned, and invented a new username to get around it. There’s also the man was I being stupid, i’d rather not anyone, “new” I meet, associate me with that stupid idiot, I am certainly someone else.

The caterpillar seems a bit more honest.

You own your feelings and ideas and the way you express them, regardless your username. No wool gets pulled over anyone’s eyes in the long run however often attempted in the short run.

I’d guess even a butterfly remembers it’s beginning. To yourself be true, fuck the rest of us.

It indicates change in self-image. Either towards more (which indicates an improvement in self-knowledge, which is good) or towards less (which indicates loss of memory, forgetting and degeneration of self-knowledge due to various factors such as shame, which is bad.)

We cling to our preconceptions, mine included. Recognition of that as fact could be a freeing.

They change their name whenever they want to disassociate from things they said in their past.