> In what we denote as "primitive societies", the superstition that knowing someone's true name gives you magic power over him is not unusual
Thats funny, because its not about magic powers but a psychological trick that makes someone seem more trusted when they say your name. Its not about superstition but being able to understand things in more than a direct blunt way.
The next line kind of makes connection between the two:
"We are hardly less primitive: why do we persist here in answering the telephone with the most unhelpful "hello" instead of our name?"
Implying that giving away your name to someone who doesn't know it yet is a similar kind of superstition, but its definitely a sane safety measure, as we know today all the crazy examples of what social engineering and elaborate scamming can do.
> In what we denote as "primitive societies", the superstition that knowing someone's true name gives you magic power over him is not unusual
Thats funny, because its not about magic powers but a psychological trick that makes someone seem more trusted when they say your name. Its not about superstition but being able to understand things in more than a direct blunt way.