A Culmination of Labels
Are we clothes for sale? Do we need a price tag? Obviously not, yet it seems as though each and every one of us has a label. In her piece, There is No Unmarked Woman, author Deborah Tannen dissects this issue, presenting the idea that all women are marked in the public’s eyes. In this massive world reside many people of various ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, preferences, and much more. These differences are what lead to stereotypes which ultimately result in unrealistic labels. Evidence of these labels is nearly ubiquitous. An individual may decide to not overwhelm themselves with many extracurriculars and then are labeled as lazy. Someone may like to hear about others’ problems to try to help them and are instead labeled as nosy.
In short, we are often quick to judge others and ourselves. When walking into a room of strangers, one of the first things we do is assess each person, placing certain labels on them to then decide how to interact with them based upon those labels. Many also label themselves incorrectly, placing themselves under pressure for minuscule things. In my life, I’ve had my fair share of “labeling” experiences–from both sides of the spectrum. In fact, some of my best friends today wouldn’t have been there if I had let my labels keep me away from them. In a world wherein we all are bound to differ, why do we strive to conform to certain idealistic conceptions? Why do we label others as different when in reality there is so much in common? It’s almost as if we are primed to act a certain way, in order to reinforce those stereotypes–to give power to these labels. Just because you’re of a certain background doesn't mean that you will turnout the same as the rest of your batch. Each individual is unique and their future and potential is up to them. It’s best to destroy all these labels and to not impose them upon anyone else. Who knows? Maybe soon we can live in a world where we are viewed as people rather than a culmination of labels.
Love your word usage! I even had to search up what “ubiquitous” meant. As for your thoughts on labels in society, I agree. I’d like to add that labels vary based on the environment - I think there is definitely more pressure to excel academically in our school than many others, mostly because our student population has a higher concentration of self-motivated, driven workers. This pressure is also reinforced by the school system itself. However, our school is also much more diverse so racial labels are much less prevalent.
ReplyDelete- Meth Yahampath
DeleteI loved how you compared people to clothing because it made me realize that that’s the reality of how most individuals put labels on themselves which makes them seem more like a product rather than a human being. I agree that everyone in this world is different, one way or another, and there is no reason for us to try and use labels to conform into what society says we have to be. With the elimination of labels, I too hope to live in a world where we are not presented by misconceptions but as people.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post and I can definitely relate, I find myself labeling others more often than I would like to. I love the abundance of rhetorical questions you asked! I also agree that we label people we don’t even know, which is problematic since we are often wrong, because obviously you should never judge a book by its cover!
ReplyDeleteIn many ways, labels can be harmful to people. Not only is this "wrong" assessment damaging, but the idea that a person can simply be judged by how they first appear is demeaning to everyone who desires to express themselves. Almost everyone resorts to labelling each other without realizing how hurtful they can become. And although labels will likely never be removed, nor should they, it is important to recognize this societal problem. What you say at the end really does hit a little; labels are not short of simply ignoring the existence of a person for who they truly are.
ReplyDeleteI loved the way you started off with a couple questions to relate to your main topic. Not only does this start making the reader apply their own life to this question, but also apply their actions. Your message is supported with real life experiences which I found help me realize my own struggles. This blog brings to light the things that people do that subconsciously that they may not even realize and you have done it in a way that we can all learn from this.
ReplyDelete