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Labels

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by randomly me, Mar 5, 2015.

?

do you think labels make things easier?

  1. yes

    27 vote(s)
    48.2%
  2. no

    10 vote(s)
    17.9%
  3. not sure

    19 vote(s)
    33.9%
  1. SohoDreamer

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    Labels themselves are a sometimes convenient way of defining people in certain categories.

    The problem is the connotations that invariably arise with labels, and these are pernicious. It's an unfortunate fact that, as an example, the term 'gay man' can mean anything other than just that. There are those who can meet someone who is gay and not jump to conclusions about what this means about their personality, mannerisms, masculinity/femininity and so on. But there are so many others who represent a discouraging majority. These people will meet someone who's LGBT and decide that they are a certain type of person based on the stereotypes and connotations associated with their particular label.

    I for one try my best to avoid labels where I can. It's almost impossible to avoid labelling myself as male because I hold no ambiguity about my own sex/gender and so I can't claim to be anything else without being disingenuous. However, rather than denoting my genitals, this standard label leads to others meeting me and having a preconceived notion about me. They see I'm a guy and suddenly I'm into sports, women, action movies, porn, cars and other such stereotypical interests. Whether I am or not is utterly irrelevant. The point is that people will make this assumption purely based on my label of being a man.

    And that was just one example. My race, sexuality, religion, political beliefs and so on also bring about connotations that do not necessarily apply to me.

    So no, I try my best not to associate myself with labels. I prefer for people to get to know me and who I am rather than my social demographic.

    I suppose a pertinent question would be how do stereotypes arise and what can we do to stop them? To this, I'm afraid I have no answer.
     
  2. Ryu

    Ryu
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    Having a label kinda helps, just because instead of saying
    (In my best american accent) 'Mom, Dad, I'm into a, b, c, not y and x, and that someone that is d is really important to me' which seems way to long for what it's worth, you can just say 'Mom , dad, I'm z', which is much more reasonable.
     
  3. RemakeJake

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    I don't think labels are entirely wrong, and I also can get annoyed at the constant label copouts, as it can be confusing. For example, I was texting a guy I had just met and we talked about sexuality. I said, "are you gay?" He goes, "I like guys." "Oh, are you bisexual?" "I don't like labels." "Okay, well do you like women, too?" "I don't like labels."
     
  4. Jellal

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    Labels are what help us say, "I am X." In that respect, they make things easier because they provide us with orientation, structure, and potentially even a sense of direction.
     
  5. Harjus

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    It's good to have names and words for things. Like apples, pineapples and oranges can't just all be fruits. Sofas and tables can't just be furnitures and yellow, blue and green aren't all just colours. We need to name them. It's a problem when we start thinking we need dozens of words for different kinds of forks and no one no more knows what we are talking about and when people get anxious with their forks just because of labels.

    People label other people anyway. If I don't say anything people label me as straight or as a lesbian (I look like a masculine female so many just assume that I must be a lesbian or at least that I like girls only). If I am labeled I want it to be right since people keep acting on those labels and they keep assuming that I will too. It's funny how after that they complain how everybody must come out of the closet and how unnecessary it is and blah blah blah. If I assumed that a straight person is gay and they notice it they would instantly tell me they are straight without realizing that it's the same thing and now they are the ones highlighting their sexuality.

    And when I am looking for partners it's important to know that they are not lesbians or straight men or so on and for them it's good to know that I am not a woman. We can't be just people in some situations. Sometimes it's also great to know if someone has same experiences than I do. If we have tendencies that aren't that common it can feel lonely.
     
  6. Drednaught

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    Labels are necessary. Without labels we wouldn't be able to communicate with language, so yes, it's easier.
     
  7. Radioactive Bi

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    Yes they do, as long as you accept that the vast majority of labels represent a somewhat simplified generalisation of what they are are really representing.

    Happy days :slight_smile:
     
  8. indiqo

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    this
     
  9. PlantSoul

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    Humans have a need to categorize things. So, in a sense, they are good. They give the opportunity to "make real" to Binaries and educate those that are unfamiliar with these concepts. However, I've come across quite a few people who are utterly fed up with all of these new labels. In a way, the labels are hurting the community. They are effecting how we are portrayed, and how others act towards us.
     
  10. Kaiser

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    I can deal with the romantic and sexual stuff. But enough of it overlaps.

    However, the line is drawn when you enter Otherkin territory. It's one thing to identify as a woman or man, maybe something between or neither. But when you start insisting people refer to you as "sprout"* for your pronouns, because you identify as a plant, that does it.

    *Totally serious about the sprout-pronoun-plant-identification. People do that shit.
    Tumblr has some weird fuckers, and I should probably stop visiting the corners of the Internet that I do. LOL!
     
  11. happydavid

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    I didn't really know
     
  12. warholwendy

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    The point of a label is to make things easier to understand. I think some people overcomplicate labels.
     
  13. CJliving

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    I answered 'no' but that no needs to be applied to the very first label ever made. Okay, labelling species is a little different, but when we started labelling 'man' 'woman' 'white' 'brown' etc that created a problem. So in a system dependant on labels, labels are needed to create a sense of identity, community, and normalness; but I still think they are wholely inaccurate and redundant in nature.
     
  14. choirsmash

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    I think labels make things easier to explain, but sometimes a person doesn't fit with one specific label and gets frustrated. I, personally, find that labels make things easier for me.
     
  15. MisterTinkles

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    What kind of labels are you talking about?

    Tags on clothes?

    Labels on soup cans?

    Labels on the front of buildings?

    Labels on people?
     
  16. randomly me

    randomly me Guest

    gender identity and sexuality labels mostly
     
  17. MisterTinkles

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    In that case, no.

    Why should you be "labeled" anything other than Human Being?
     
  18. tscott

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    Labels are helpful, but should not be used to pigeonhole an individual, because people are so much more than the label given them. Everyone refers to me as a bear stocky, hairy, but if I'm a bear I'm the Polo bear. Preppie as hell, no camo, hate tenting. I've a friend who is more of a twink. He works in interior design, is slender and slightly feminine in his actions, but he hunts and fishes year round and owns a brace of German short-haired pointers. So I'd just be careful when using labels. They help us speak of generalities, but not specifics.
     
  19. randomly me

    randomly me Guest

    mum i have to tell you something...

    what is it my darling?

    well it is kinda complicated....

    oh you're gay! knew it!

    uh no mom i identify as a plant please call me sprout from now on


    (seriously no one would get through with that stuff in real life )