How Do You Know You're You?

In this disinformation age

Early morning thoughts on technology and the concept of too much information. What do you do to retain your sense of self when it appears to have been hijacked? Let me explain what has brought on this unusual turn to introspection. I have always been fussy about the spelling of my first name, which I used to say was the same as Katharine Hepburn, an idol of mine. And I still retain a sense of having been born outside London, England, even though I’m a naturalized American citizen and have lived here much longer than there. But imagine my surprise when I Googled my name just for fun and found that there is at least one other female Brit with my exact name and spelling. Unfortunately, she is quite well known in circles where I (the “real” Katharine) would never be found. Nor would I want “my name” to be associated with the causes she espouses. So what to do? Before all the technology which allows an information glut in the world, I would have been perfectly content never knowing about another person who answers to the same name. But all of this rambling has me questioning what actually constitutes our sense of self. My immediate family may sometimes call me Kathy as I was known in early life, but it has become increasingly important that I enjoy my full name. I also did make the mistake of changing my last name once but quickly retrieved it after that divorce. Am I making too much of the association of a name with one’s sense of self? I’d be interested to know what other people think about this subject. And now off for my morning walk outdoors to start my singularly special day as THE Katharine Hill.