Video Still from Drop Labels dot org website

Let’s All Drop Labels by da-AL

Posted on by da-AL

Video Still from Drop Labels dot org websiteFirst impressions. It’s hard to restrain myself from making snap judgments about people when I first meet them.

Worse is when I settle for my shallow analysis and end up labeling folks.

We’re all complex, all of us alike yet different from each other, so I doubt anyone appreciates my boxing them into a label. Moreover, embracing knee-jerk categorizing limits me from enjoying all the marvelous aspects of the people I meet as well as learning the really good stuff from them.

Alas, training myself to stop being an automaton seems impossible.

Not so! There’s hope, thanks to this consciousness-raising site founded by a wise new friend. Drop Labels features videos of people discussing how being labeled has hurt them. The site goes above and beyond threadbare definitions of types of labels. For instance, this man has found that he hates being labeled as ‘the man with cancer’ …

Do you label? Have you been labeled?

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Published by da-AL

Happiness Between Tails speaks to and from the heart. It connects lovers — of pets, authors, books — and of my still-unreleased novels, “Flamenco + the Sitting Cat” and “Tango + the Sitting Cat.” The stories are my love letters to all who fear they're too odd, too damaged, too old, too whatever to find happiness. ContactdaAL@gmail.com • BuyMeACoffee.com/SupportHBT

40 thoughts on “Let’s All Drop Labels by da-AL”

  2. We all do or get label at least once in our life. Some say it is just a classification or a way to protect ourself. But when we label we judge the people on what we think they are, not who they really are. A few years ago, I missed the opportunity to know a real interesting person just because she physically looked as someone who was mean to me in my childhood. So I simply did not give her the chance to prove me wrong. My lost. But when a label is put on a child it can be damaging. Same goes with labelling a person as “The mentally ill”. Studies have shown that it can increase stigma. We should definitely try not to label people and be careful with the words we use to describe them. Label do not define us and words do matter. Both influence people’s attitude. Nice post da-AL.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. A psychology professor once explained we all label: our brains do it automatically, in an attempt to handle all the information we have to process (everything you come across, see, smell, hear, etc. is information for your brains).

    People seem to label me as a dumb blonde, because I look younger than I am and I am (obviously) blonde. At work I don’t mind that much, it actually helps me to hide behind my supposed stupidity whenever I actually do something stupid :p As for the rest of my world, it’s hurtful when people take one look at me and pretend they know all about me, especially when they can’t be more wrong.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I agree that it’s automatic to try & size others up — I think mindfullness is of essence – that we need to be aware of what we’re doing & allow ourselves to get to know people a bit before we let ourselves become rigid

      Liked by 1 person

  4. I guess labels are nothing new but definiteley seem to be more prevalent these days.

    Born in Australia but with European heritage, I was labelled all sorts at school back in the ’70s. Although quite hurtful at the time, I always knew that children are not born racists. This is inherited from their environment and from their parents.

    I think understanding this is what pulled me through those years. Great post!

    Liked by 1 person

      1. That’s a very good point but I don’t think it’s just companies.
        Coming from a family with two psychologists, I know that this profession has to do the same. Everything/everyone has to have a label and be constricted within its confines. 😉

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Fantastic initiative. So easy to judge. Although, I must also say…going with your gut instinct is not bad either. Sometimes you just don’t click with someone, but that doesn’t mean you should ‘label’. Again, love this post and the initiative of ‘droplabels’.
    XxX

    Liked by 2 people

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