Labels

What is it about labels these days? I’m not talking about soup can labels, or box tops, or the irritating clothing labels that scratch your neck until you cut them out. I’m talking about labeling human beings.

Why do we do this? Everywhere today there are nothing but labels. “Liberals”, “Conservatives”, “Republicans”, “Democrats”, “Hippies”, “Tree Huggers”, “So-called Christians”, “Warmongers”, “Cripples”, “Morons”, “Non-believers”, “Idiots”, “Retards”, “Real Americans”, etc.

Why do we have to label people? Labeling groups of people together by perceived similarities, ideals or belief systems allows for stereotyping and condemning, based on assumed affiliation with a group. What good does it do? Doesn’t it objectify people?

Why do we presume to know someone well enough, based on a statement or thought that was shared, to label them, generalize, stereotype them? How did we all become experts on the human condition, when most of us are still trying to figure out this thing called “Life”?

I’ve blogged, in the past, concerning racism and prejudice language. I think these labels are prejudice as well.

Haven’t we all heard “Sticks and stones can break my bones but names will never hurt me?”

I was taught in therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that words can never hurt you, that you decide how you will interpret those words and how you will allow them to effect you, but the words themselves don’t hurt you. I think there is some truth to that, but I think in some situations, there is enough hatefulness behind the words that we all know how they are meant and they are meant to wound.

I think labeling people is a way of wounding. If you perceive the label to be insulting, to be used in a derogatory manner, based on the context in which it is used, then it can hurt you. You understand the intent behind it.

Take the word ”retard” or “retarded”, for example. All our lives we have associated that terminology to be a derogatory comment, a put down, an insult.

The original usage of the word ‘retard’ or ‘retarded’ denoted a slower than average learning and/or developing process. It indicated learning and/or developmental delays.

Used in a derogatory fashion it came to mean stupid, dumb, ignorant, moron, idiot, suggesting someone or something was ‘lesser than’ he/she/it should be.

Sometimes I think we know, recognize that certain words have dual meanings and can be very hurtful, but when we are saying them, we just don’t think about it. I think until we experience such prejudicial labeling ourselves, we have trouble understanding the significance of using such terms carelessly.

A friend of mine suggested that ‘labels’ can be a good thing. “Without a label we wouldn’t know what the subject of a book was. If we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, without a label, how do we know what’s inside?”

My response was, is the label for convenience sake? Why not pick up the book, open the cover and read it to expand your mind, make your own determination about what’s inside, rather than rely on a label to do the work for you? Why let someone else tell you what’s inside? Their interpretation might be completely different than your own.

He went on to say, “If I have a label, say I’m a Republican, then you already know where I stand on pretty much any issue, regardless of whether I have tattoos or a mohawk.”

I asked, “Why not just get to know the person for yourself?” I can say I’m a Democrat, but I don’t follow a ‘liberal’ ideology exclusively, so if you think I’m Democrat therefore I must believe in a certain way, you would be wrong when it comes to some very key issues.

Exploration and growth don’t come ‘pre-packaged’ and if they do, then I find something suspect about that. Who wants me to know this? What are their reasons for me knowing this? I want to learn and question for myself and make my own determinations.

Labels and stereotypes are not necessarily the same thing and do get confused. Often labels are what cause people to stereotype, perpetuating inaccurate images, misrepresentations.

I fear that when we label or stereotype people, we objectify them, we then look at them as being ‘less than’ human beings with feelings and justifiable emotions.

Believing, taking for granted, trusting labels can cause us to approach people with preconceived notions about who they are, what they think, feel or believe. Preconceived notions often blind us to the truth.

Labels serve a valuable purpose on soup cans, box tops and clothing, but when it comes to people, they can’t be put into such tiny, inflexible boxes without doing them an injustice.