Secret identity

A secret identity is the practice of hiding a person's identity so the actual identity of the person is not known or suspected.

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Legal uses of secret identity include people placed under witness protection programs to protect witnesses in criminal trials from retaliation from the criminal organizations they inform against. Law enforcement and intelligence agents often use secret identities in undercover operations in order to infiltrate criminal or foreign organizations for the purposes of investigations. Entertainers like professional wrestlers sometimes hide their identities beyond simple stage names in order create an appealing mystique for the audience.

Related Topics:
Witness protection - Undercover - Professional wrestler - Stage name

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Writers also often use pseudonyms in order to hide

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their identity. In some cases, such as with James Tiptree, Jr, the writer will use a pseudonym because the image required by the genre does not match the writer's actual identity. In the case of Richard Bachman, Stephen King wanted to know whether his writing as an "unknown" writer would get as much interest as his non-pseudonym work. Finally, a writer who produces several independent series of works featuring different recurring characters (such as John Creasey) or who writes in different genres or styles (such as Nora Roberts) may use different names for each one.

Related Topics:
James Tiptree, Jr - Richard Bachman - Stephen King - Pseudonym - John Creasey - Nora Roberts

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In politics, the assumption of a secret identity is sometimes used to avoid adverse political consequences of an identity being publicized. Famous secret identities in politics include Deep Throat, the initially unnamed source for Watergate information and X, who wrote a famous essay outlining the United States policy of containment.

Related Topics:
Deep Throat - Watergate - X

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On the Internet, an alias or nickname is often used for privacy and abbreviation. (See also Internet friendship and Sherry Turkle's academic work.)

Related Topics:
Internet - Alias - Nickname - Privacy - Abbreviation - Internet friendship - Sherry Turkle

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Secret identities of real people include:

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• James Tiptree, Jr
• Richard Bachman
• X
• "Anonymous", the author of Primary Colors
• Deep Throat -Watergate informant
• Publius, the authors of the Federalist Papers
• The Residents
• The Guerilla Girls
• Slipknot

see also: pen names

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Secret identity: Secret identities in fiction ►