Labels powerfully influence how we perceive ourselves and how we interact with others. And humans label other humans do it pretty naturally.
Why is it such a natural thing for us to do? Are the implications as bad as how it’s reflected in the media?
The answers to these questions are complex. Hence, let’s better understand the evolutionary power of labels. On top of that, we’ll explore how we can take advantage of this innate habit so that the labels we use reflect positive characteristics, set useful expectations, and provide meaningful goals in our lives.
Why Do We Use Social Labels?
We label people based on categorizations like race, gender, class, and sexual orientation. They frame a set of expectations in our minds and affect how we treat ourselves and others.
Social categorization theory
Research on the origins of social categorization indicates that social labeling begins in infancy and is part of our survival instincts.
This is to simplify perception and cognition by detecting similar traits and then imposing a structure in our minds. Without it, we would not be able to make sense of the complex, multifaceted environment around us.
The “Big Three” are sex, race, and age, but numerous other dimensions are categorized as well, such as social status, occupation, and even perceptually ambiguous categories such as sexual orientation.
So are labels, or social categories, good or bad?
How Do Labels Hurt?
For the most part, we can’t deny that labels seem to flatten humans into a one-dimensional mechanism. Regardless whether a label is racial, sexual, political, or dietary – it can never fully capture the nuanced complexity of human identity.
1. Quick yet false judgments
Our negativity bias tempts us to make negative assumptions. That’s because humans are evolved to avoid situations and people that potentially pose a threat.
Unfortunately, this quickly becomes a root cause for many problems in our society. Most evidently, labels related to false judgments create negative stereotypes, biases, and stigma.
2. Negative self-fulfilling prophecies
Human ego loves mental labels. The ego lives in the part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for our sense of personal identity.
Hence, without awareness, labels generate self-fulfilling prophecies that may keep us stuck in a loop to help the ego make sense of our reality. And if you don’t try to grow and improve, it will only serve to reinforce your ego’s belief in the label you were given.
The ultimate truth of who you are is not I am this or I am that. But I am.
Eckhart Tolle
3. Segregation: An us versus them dynamic
Our tribal past uses labels to protect ourselves from physical threats. But nowadays we use labels to distance ourselves from even people who inherit a different worldview.
This us versus them dynamic creates competition and hostility between groups. And is thus not only a matter of competing for resources but also the result of competing identities. As a result, we adhere to behaviors that may not be entirely appropriate for our mental and physical well-being.
How Do Labels Help?
I can see why people cringe at the idea of labels. Upon reading about the cons above, they can indeed be problematic. However, it would be impossible to catalog the information we process in our everyday lives without them. Here are a few other instances where labels are inherently useful:
1. Clarity
At the very least, labels provide us with clarity and confidence about certain choices we make.
Naming certain disabilities, illnesses, or dietary preferences allows us to easily explain lifestyle choices to others. And by clearly defining things like our values helps us avoid long explanations of choices that precede our lifestyle.
2. Support
For those in marginalized communities or people with certain health diagnoses, labels help them find others with similar issues and help them get appropriate resources. In turn, we feel less alone and we get both the physical and emotional support we need.
3. Factual assumptions
Labels in essence are simply terms to describe a set of facts. They’re not always pernicious but we often turn them into dirty words because we stuff them with stereotypes.
Being able to identify a health condition, living circumstance or a personal belief prevents us from assuming otherwise. For example, someone who labels their burnout can avoid thinking they’re lazy, crazy, or stupid.
Perhaps you identify as a climate activist, it simply means you support organized activity on behalf of our environmental rights and interests. And last I checked, being a feminist means you’re someone who believes in the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. If someone wants to conflate these words with stereotypes and faulty beliefs, it’s their problem, not yours.
Concluding thoughts
We know all the reasons labels can be controversial and deficient. But it’s important to see both sides of the coin. So much of a label’s value depends not on the terms themselves, but on how we use them.
At last, mere words can never capture the complexity of our identities. Yet words are tools we use to make sense of who we are and the world around us. By using them conscientiously, while acknowledging their inevitable limitations, we become fuller and more understanding individuals.
