I’m sitting in a classroom full of half-strangers and yet I already know more than I think I do about the people filling the desks around me. To start with, we’re all freshman attending a prestigious liberal arts college. Anyone observing this scene would probably make the simple observation that where we find ourselves indicates that we’re smart. So, we’re smart; what does that even mean?
Anyone who’s been labeled the smart kid, or the classic nerd with glasses, knows that these labels can come with a lot of pressures and can even be quite isolating. As the typical “smart” kid, we might have been stereotypically expected to get all As and read books at recess. I may or may not be speaking from experience…I will say this, reading at recess does not exactly boost one’s social life. Maybe we’ve all read the Harry Potter series twelve times and attend our college’s quidditch matches religiously, or perhaps we don’t. Regardless, right off the bat, we’ve been assigned certain assumptions that follow the label of “smart.”
Everyone, if they think about it, can probably crank out a list of at least 15 different words that have been used to describe them, whether positive or negative. These labels give a short, simple, and incomplete picture of a person. Labels are useful; they put words to abstract ideas and give meaning to actions and opinions. They help us understand our own identity, and allow us relate to other people, as well as emphasize our differences.
Although labels are seemingly necessary to the successful functioning of society, they should be used with caution, as they can also be extremely limiting. Because labels affect how we see ourselves and how we see everyone else, they are extremely powerful. The set of assumptions that follow any given label can be dangerous. Some of these assumptions are societal; they have been engrained in our subconscious by years of socialization, others we make for ourselves based on personal experience. Regardless of where these assumptions stem from, they can be extremely problematic.
Consider labels regarding race, sexuality, or religion; there is already so much room for controversy, and we’ve only just scratched the surface of the labels that are attributed to us on a daily basis. When we rely on labels as our only source of understanding or allow others to do so when they label us, we throw away our own identities, and we are only seen through a narrow lens of an already constructed idea.
The thing about labels is that they are pre-made boxes that come with certain assumptions. When you or someone else labels you, you’re taking on a whole lot of prior baggage that comes with a word. Maybe you don’t quite fit in the box or with the expectations that go along with the labels of gay, depressed, teenager, Republican, Muslim, African American, or other. The fact is, we’re all individuals with varying circumstances and backgrounds. All of these labels have their own stories behind them, and these are not necessarily our stories.
So consider your words carefully next time you go to label yourself or others. Know what is behind your words, and always keep an open mind. You don’t have to shove yourself into a pre-cut mold. You have all the tools you need. All you have to do is build your own box.
