"He's such a jerk!"
"What a slut!"
"I'm fat!"
"He's so gay!"
"Oh she is sooo stupid! Can you believe how stupid she is?"
"That guy is a piece of shit!"
"Can you believe that broad just cut me off?!"
"I'm gonna go tell that SOB what I think of him. He's such a conceited prick!"
Offensive? Should be. For many, however it's just part of the daily vernacular. For all, however the power of labeling can cause serious problems in life and relationships.
"What's in a name?" Shakespeare asked. More than we initially imagine. A name, a label has power to change us, dam us, progress us or stop us. Labels cause fights, wars, and divorces. Labels are lived up to, whether true or not. Labels express ignorance, bigotry, racism, sexism, intolerance and hate. Let's take a look a little deeper at the power of a label. Travel with me on a couple of thought experiments and experience the power of labels.
"I'm fat." Two words, sometimes translated into "I'm thick," "I'm gross," "ugh" or a number of other cutting labels can have a powerful effect on the mind. Let's try the experiment. What, in you estimation, would a person who chooses this label DO in there life? How would a self-labeled "fat" person think about thier body, food, excercise, movement, physical intimacy or trying new physical activities? We all live up to the labels we chose, either for ourselves or for others. What, then, would the "fat" person do? How would they live? And how, if they wanted to lose some of the fat on thier body would they proceed to do do so? What self-sabotaging behaviors would the "fat" person adopt in order to maintain thier chosen label?
"That guy is a jerk!" Why do we use labels? Simply put it is easier to just objectify another person by labeling them. By labeling another person we can very neatly categorize them and place them in a box on the shelf with the rest of our "things." He is not a person, a human being with needs, wants, feelings, strengths and weaknesses JUST LIKE ME, he is an object - a jerk. By objectifying others we make it easier to live in a world we create with "good guys" and "bad guys." Holy, righteous, sinners, saints, good, bad, winners, losers...the labels are endless, and we - the god, the judge and jury of our world chose who wins, and who loses.
What happens in our mind to "the jerk" once we've labeled him? How do we respond to him? How do we treat him? Is he easily dismissed because we have objectified him by slapping on the label? How do we talk about him to others? Over time, what does the power of our gossip do to "the jerk?" Our judgement, left unchecked can cause a tidal wave of consequences for a person who maybe was just having a bad day, or, who is just misunderstood, less than appropriately loved, or less than skilled in handling tough situations. Regardless, our label won't allow for humanity in others. The label has to be proven right, the expectation has to be fulfilled.
Think, for a moment about the common labels you use to describe yourself. Are there some that are damming you? Are some stopping your progress? Are some making you stuck? Do you have labels that keep you from progressing because, no matter what you try you can't outrun the label you have stuck in your head?
What about the opposite? Are there some labels you use that empower you? Have you labeled yourself with some labels that allow for compassion, confidence and clear thinking? What labels are more mature, empowering and progress provoking?
Now look outward. What labels have you thrown out there on others. Worse yet - which labels have you perpetuated through gossip. Gossip is nothing more and nothing less than pathetic conversation from an insecure soul seeking to divert attention of thier own weakness. In doing so the sad soul receives a short shot of false self assurance from a skewed perspective, because "at least they aren't as bad as THAT person." The lie doesn't last and the gossiper continues to gossip rather than build a stronger soul foundation. The soul is starving and they need a constant "fix," a consistent "high" from the gossip drug.
Labels are everywhere. They help define how we view the world. They are powerful and can be very damaging when used to describe people. Labels can pull people together or tear them apart. Labels can personally push us forward or pull us back. We should use caution and care when labeling ourselves and others. What's in a name? Everything! Chose wisely.
***Thanks everyone for reading. I would love to hear your comments. Please leave your comments below and don't forget to follow and share the blog!***
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