Two-cents on "Labels"

Disclaimer: I am neither a psychology student nor have in-depth knowledge of it, but this is just one of my innermost thoughts that has been lingering on my mind for...months? I feel like writing about it. Don't worry, I try to write this according to some trusted sources e.g.  journal and articles written by the experts or those who have educational background regarding the topic.

Source:rightsinfo.org

Good one, eh?

                We often put labels on people, unwittingly. On people, and on ourselves. Some labels are perceived as good ones, or probably too good to be true. Some labels are perceived as bad ones. Personally, I don't think those labels we put on ourselves and on the other people are profoundly good. Labels here refer to the bad ones and the good ones. Yes, even good labels can be problematic. According to Cambridge Dictionary, label is a word or a phrase that is used to describe the characteristics or qualities of people, activities, or things, often in a way that is unfair. Labels become our basis in getting to know people; or distinguish them, to be exact. We put them in the variety of labeled-boxes in inside our head, and usually those labels are formed perpetually based on our own experience and understanding.  Just take blood type, for instance. Most of us already acknowledge that it has no scientific basis, that someone's blood type can affect his/her personality as a whole. However, some of us often generalize someone's traits based on his/her bloodtype; “Oh you have B blood type, no wonder you’re (insert silly-blood type-stereotyping here)”. Even though some of them might be “coincidentally” true, but it’s actually frankly ridiculous. Someone's traits cannot be that simple; it's an unceasing process of development, and so is the understanding of it.

            From my standpoint, labeling can be harmful because it affects self-esteem and limits someone’s self-development. When someone’s labeled as something, s/he will eventually believe it, even if the label doesn’t actually define her/him. Lungu (2016) also stated that according to a labeling theory, if a person is labeled in a certain way, this person starts to conform to that label, over time. Especially, if it’s continually fed since the younger age and given by persons with authority – like parents, relatives, teachers, bestfriends, colleagues, significant other– the labels have the power to stick to the person, becoming general truths. This means that labels stick if they are consistent, consolidated and applied by persons with authority (Lungu, 2016). Imagine there was a primary school boy that labeled as “a bad kid” by everyone around him, including his parents and teachers at the school. The label made him miserable, he wanted to deny it so much, but he’s stuck with the label that he started to believe it; that it’s truly him: a bad kid. Can you imagine the damage that he has to suffer, for years, or maybe a lifetime, because of the label? He doesn’t feel valuable and reluctant in exploring and respecting his own worth.

                 Last year, someone recommended me a Japanese anime movie called "A Silent Voice" (2017) (The story and the visual were really pleasing, by the way). It disclosed a story where a boy named Shōya burdened a label of " a bully", it stuck to him for years and affected his social life, even the way he looked at himself. He became a social outcast, he lost his confidence, all of his friends and thought that he didn't deserve one anymore; he accepted all of them because he believed that it's the punishment he deserved. He deserved all the atrocious things that people thought of him and did to him. Well, I know that he did terrible thing to the poor girl but he doesn't have to suffer like that either. Moreover, this case happens oftentimes: Every time that someone treats you badly, you take that as evidence that they are a bad person, and not just that they are a possibly good person who just happened to do a bad thing. What if they are not actually a bad person? People can change. People can be, can do better. That’s how people develop. Don’t live a stressful life believing that they won’t, and giving vicious remarks and judgements. It is important to realize that you should not completely define people in your life solely by their current behavior (Markman, 2014), or something they did in the past.

               As for the good labels, if it’s used excessively, the person, especially a kid, can also possibly develop negative character s or will be discouraged from making any effort to continually learn (Lungu, 2016). “I am smart, I don’t have to learn anymore because I understand very quickly”. In the school years, this can result an educational failure if there’s an absence of exercise and constant effort. In the case of adults, labels may make them feeling (too) superior and having such arrogant attitude.   

             All things considered, labels, either they’re positive or negative, can alter someone’s self-esteem and limit the self-improvement. As what Lungu (2016) said, labels, whether they are negative or positive, have the effect of stopping evolution. It obstructs the right to a choice from various opportunities. On the long term, labels can affect the personal, professional and social life of the individual.

               Flaxington (2012), once wrote this in an article on Psychology Today: “Why do we need to categorize people anyway? Aren’t labels harmful and stifling for most people? Think of the difficulties caused over the years by assigning names to certain ethic groups, or religions. The label in and of itself puts the person in a box. No matter what they do or say, they can’t get out of that box. The label defines them. Once the person is labeled, it’s very hard for them to move away from that label and to gain another image”.

             Labels are not real because they convey messages referring to the emotional state, the desires and needs of the person creating them (Lungu, 2016). Those labels won’t get through you without your consent. Comprehending yourself is not the same as self-labeling, though. Don’t hesitate to do good or speak up for the betterment of the society, just because you don’t want to be labeled as a SJW (in this context, the term is irrelevant anyway). Don’t hesitate to be sensitive about certain rude things that people say or do to you, just because you don’t want to be labeled as a “baperan” person. Also, believe that the persons’ traits are not simple, what you see and label might be just the tip of the iceberg.

References

Flaxington, B. 2012. Labeling Damage: Do you label others?. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/understand-other-people/201211/labeling-damage

Lungu, M. 2016. The consequences of labelling on personality development. Journal Plus Education 14(1):112-131.

Markman, A. 2014. The danger of labelling others (or yourself). https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/ulterior-motives/201406/the-danger-labeling-others-or-yourself