Two personalities, living and dead, may come as a shock to many people. Yet, this is how we live in modern society, whether we like it or not. So what does it mean, and how does it happen?

Here’s a trip down a rabbit hole that’s often discussed by well meaning “freedom-fighters.”

This is not about “strawman” theory or “sovereign citizen” arguments… Here we look at a fundamental concept about the nature of legal identity… And how the government creates and interacts with individuals through legal fictions.

In this author’s case, shortly after the birth, the child is “given” names by the parents. The parents carry out their civic duties and record the birth with the government. They are then handed a piece of paper… A receipt, as it were. The document looks very official, and is titled :
“Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth Pursuant to the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953.”

Looking closely at this Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth, the document does not identify a surname/family name for the child.

Ten years later, the parents request a second Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth. The new document also states no surname/family name. Coincidence? Surely this isn’t simply a clerical error.

Surnames Assigned by the State:

The Register of Births is created by the government to officially record details about a child’s birth (name, date, parents, etc.) for purposes of governance, administration, and legal recognition.

Government authorities later assign a surname derived from one of the parents’ names… Is this to match the structure of official documents (which often require a full name, including a surname)?

So at what stage does the government make assumptions by adding another name to create a new legal fiction entity?

Such action gives “you” two personalities. It creates a discrepancy between your personal identity (the name given by your parents) and your legal identity (the name in the official government record).

Why does this happen?

The government take steps to clarify or formalize your legal identity, creating a “legal fiction,” to ensure your record is in line with their formal systems.

To do this, they require a “full name” for official purposes (birth registration, social security, tax records, etc.).

Since the original registration doesn’t include a surname, it’s added later to conform to their administrative system.

Key Points about the Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth:

The Birth is recorded in a register kept by the registry office or civil registration authority. This record forms the origin of a source document called the “Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth”.

While it may reflect a legal identity created by the government, the “Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth” is not the same as a birth certificate. It essentially reflects the same information as the birth register, but is issued in a form that can be presented as an official record for various legal purposes.

Now it’s the source document for every other document issued by the government. So if the government assigns a surname, why is a newly “assigned” entity created by the government necessarily the same entity? Are they not two personalities?

McDonalds Restaurant Chain is not the same as “Old McDonalds Farm” yet they have similar names…

So there’s a fundamental distinction between the natural person (you, as an individual) and the legal entity (the person created by the government in official records). It’s a critical issue that touches on how identity is recorded, assigned, and managed by the state.

1. What is the “Entity” in the Certified Copy of the Entry of Birth?

The natural person is the living individual (you) who exists in the world, distinct from the legal entity created in the government record. The legal entity could be thought of as a “brand name,” for purposes of governance.

This legal construct allows the government to manage the rights and responsibilities associated with that individual (e.g., registering for services, voting, paying taxes, etc.). And this entity is often referred to in legal contexts as a “person.”

2. Why is the Legal Entity (as created by the government) “the Same” Entity?

The law tends to treat the two separate entities (the living and the “fiction”) as the same entity in terms of recognition, rights, and duties because they are bound together administratively.

And when the government issues documents like a passport, driver’s license, or social security number, they use this legal entity as the basis for granting rights and access to services.

In a legal sense, the government often treats the legal entity (the person in the birth register) as the same entity throughout a person’s life. But really they are two personalities. And the government doesn’t always make a distinction between the natural person and the legal person for practical reasons. This issue is not always fully addressed by governmental systems.

Legal Integrity:

The integrity of the original source document (the birth entry) is crucial.

The state’s role in recording names and creating legal identities is also very important. So the Certified Copy of the Entry of Birth should not be changed just to match an assumption or mistake made later.

The problem isn’t about fixing an administrative mistake by simply adjusting the record to fit later changes… It’s about understanding what the original document represents and why altering it without a legitimate basis would undermine its integrity.

A change to the original record (or “source document”) to match an outcome (like the later addition of a surname) may not be foundationally sound.

The original document should accurately reflect the truth of the circumstances as they existed when the entry was originally made, not just the state’s administrative needs that emerged after the fact.

Some points to consider:

The fact that the child has no surname recorded at the time of the registration of the birth, is reflected in the Certified Copy of the Entry of Birth. This is an official record created by the government. And this legal identity should not simply be retroactively adjusted to fit administrative decisions that do not align with the truth of the original event (i.e., your birth).

The real issue is the creation of a legal identity by the government that might not be accurate or consistent with the truth of your actual identity.

So the government creates this problem of two personalities, by wanting to “standardise” everyone’s identity to fit neatly in their boxes…

To do this, they add another name, thereby creating a new entity, which they cannot deny.

Then they try to force you to joinder with that newly created fiction entity.

At the time of your birth, you were you. Your mum and dad gave you names, your “given names.”

For ten days you’re living with those names with your own personality. Then mum and dad go to the registry office and tell the registrar:

“Hey… look at our beautiful baby, we’ve named james john paul”

So the registrar gets a book out, and opens up the most recent page on entries, and adds a new line to record “james john paul”

But this doesn’t change the personality, character, or identity of the young baby.

However…

Appearance of Two Personalities

The sudden appearance of an entry in a registry does change something on government records… another personality.

Now the State has a new legal fiction entity to start a process of government created records, like social security etc –

To which of the two personalities (entity) do all those records relate?

Not to the baby who’s still happily gurgling away in his mothers arms.

So why does the entry in a book suddenly become a living being?

It doesn’t. It’s a legal fiction entity. No different from XYZ bank, or ABC department store.

Because, as a young baby, as an individual, you already existed…

You were already “you,” even before you were born, growing in your mother’s womb.

And from birth, with your own names, your identity as a person, and your existence as an individual.

When your parents went to the registry office, they were simply providing the official documentation of a fact that already existed—your birth and your name.

And the act of registering your birth is merely an administrative process of acknowledging and recording your already existing identity—not creating or altering it.

The registrar’s job was to record the names your parents had already given you. The act of registration didn’t create or assign a new identity—it was an acknowledgment of your pre-existing identity.

Changing The Record

So what’s the issue with changing the record or adding a surname later? The birth registration process should reflect what already exists. The registrar doesn’t create you or your identity, they only record the facts that are presented to them.

If those facts are changed later (e.g., adding a surname that wasn’t part of the original name), that would be an artificial creation of a new identity that doesn’t align with the true nature of who you were at birth.

Any modification after the fact, such as adding a surname, creates a disconnect between your actual identity and the legal entity created by the government.

Now they have a new legal fiction entity to start a process of government created records, like social security etc – But to what entity do all those records relate?

Not to the baby who’s still happily gurgling in it’s mothers arms.

Creating a Legal Fiction:

So what does the government’s creation of legal identity and an entry in the birth register truly represent?

It’s not just an innocent clerical process. This is the creation of a legal fiction… A new entity that is, in essence, separate from the living individual for administrative and legal purposes by the state.

The birth registration process, while intended to acknowledge the existence of the baby, actually marks the creation of a legal entity that the government can use to create records, rights, and obligations.

This legal fiction (the “person” created in the government records) doesn’t actually equate to the living, breathing individual—the baby—who is still in their mother’s arms.

And the entry in the register is not the same as the baby itself.

The baby is a living being.

While the entry in the register is a legal fiction… A construct that the government uses to create a system of records (e.g., for social security, taxation, identification, etc.).

Difference Between Living And Dead:

Now we have two personalities, living and dead. The living baby is a natural being, a child of God, who exists independently of the registry.

The legal personality is a dead entity created by the birth registration. It begins as a simple entry in a book or a database, is a legal fiction.

This entity exists solely for the purposes of government administration. It is not the baby itself; it’s a construct the government uses to manage legal and civic affairs (such as issuing documents, creating legal obligations, etc.).

In the same way that a corporation (e.g., XYZ Bank or ABC Department Store) is a legal fiction created by the state to interact with the legal system, so too is the person created in the birth register.

The Legal Fiction’s Role in Government Systems:

Once the birth is registered, a legal identity is created that the government uses for a variety of purposes, like issuing a social security number, creating tax records, and so on.

These records relate to the legal entity (the name in the registry), not to the living person (the baby). This legal fiction allows the State to interact with the individual through the legal system… Even though the living individual is not a legal entity in the same way that a company or government department is.

Two Personalities, Living And Dead

The entry in the registry doesn’t suddenly become a “Living Being”. The entry creates a legal construct that’s treated as a “person” for administrative purposes. But it is not the same as the living, breathing individual. This legal entity is not the living person.

The living individual (the baby) exists, and has natural rights, independent of government records. Yet the State assumes control over the identity of that individual through the creation of the legal fiction.

This is the name recorded in the government’s records, but it does not equate to the natural person. Instead, it’s a construct the state uses to impose legal status, rights, and obligations (e.g., social security, citizenship, taxation).

Two Personalities, Living And Dead: Why Does This Matter?

This legal (dead) fiction (the government-created “person”) is treated as though it were the living individual.

And the government’s legal system is imposing an identity on the individual that is separate from who they truly are.

The legal entity doesn’t represent the person as they exist in the physical world. Though once this legal entity is created, it has the power to determine your rights and obligations, even though it doesn’t fully represent who you are as a living being.

This distinction between living beings and legal entities is absolutely crucial. This fact raises important questions about how identities are managed by the State.

Who controls them? And how much autonomy do individuals have over their true identity?

There’s the legal implications of the State’s creation of a person through birth registration.

This is more about questioning the nature of legal identity. How it is created. And what it means for the individual in relation to the State’s system of governance.

It’s not about making radical claims about sovereignty or attempting to disengage from government systems altogether. Or making unsupported claims to avoid legal obligations or rights…

Now you see the importance of understanding what the government is really doing when it assigns legal identity. And how these actions impact the individual’s true existence and autonomy.

It’s unsettling to realize that, as a living person, you’ve been placed within a system that assigns a legal identity… A legal fiction, separate from your true self.

And that this system is primarily designed to serve administrative and governance functions, rather than personal empowerment.

Misleading Two Personalities:

Most people are taught that the government acts in their best interests. This system ensures citizens can be identified for things like taxes, social services, and legal rights. That registration, identification, and government records are meant to protect them and offer security.

So by creating a legal identity and associating you with it, the government effectively controls how you interact with the legal system, through two personalities. It’s the government’s way of organizing society.

While the government’s systems are designed to ensure order and fairness, they can also be impersonal and bureaucratic. And it creates a disconnect between your true self (your natural identity) and the legal identity assigned by the state.

Now, when you understand the system of these two personalities, you can make informed choices about how you engage with things like taxes, social services, or legal obligations.

This raises important questions about how individuals relate to government power and what true autonomy might look like within that system.

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