Why Do People Label Themselves?

[Hugdom]

Why would anyone care about being either of the two though?

Why would anyone care what color the carpet is?

I'm Hispanic due to the circumstances of my birth and societal constructs, but frankly I have no genuine attachment to Hispanic heritage in a way that supersedes any other culture. I just don't think the circumstances of your birth should directly and substantively influence who you are.

Having a word to describe one thing about yourself doesn't mean that thing controls your life. Do you flip out like this when someone tells you they are short?

My point is that there are a great many of people who have ethnic pride or feel like they are somehow similar to other people because they have the same skin color.

[USS Monitor]

Why would anyone care what color the carpet is?



Having a word to describe one thing about yourself doesn't mean that thing controls your life. Do you flip out like this when someone tells you they are short?

My point is that there are a great many of people who have ethnic pride or feel like they are somehow similar to other people because they have the same skin color.

That's not caused by labels, or an inherent part of labeling. Racial/ethnic essentialism is a separate thing.

[Haktiva]

tribal mentalities, wanting to be part of what's similar or at least familiar to oneself. human nature.

[Lady Scylla]

I think it's because humans are naturally concerned with the need to organise things.

[Cannot think of a name]

Why would anyone care what color the carpet is?



Having a word to describe one thing about yourself doesn't mean that thing controls your life. Do you flip out like this when someone tells you they are short?

My point is that there are a great many of people who have ethnic pride or feel like they are somehow similar to other people because they have the same skin color.

Maybe they are. Maybe they have a shared heritage that gives them a frame of reference that they don't share with me, or a cultural experience that I wouldn't be able to relate to but other people like them can. I'm not particularly connected to my Irish heritage but there might be others who are, I'm not going to go, "Hey, fuck you guys. Quit relating to each other, I'm not particularly Irish so I don't get it!"

I think other people have been trying to hammer this home to no avail, but when people tell you they're something...hispanic, transgendered, a jazz fan...they're telling one thing about themselves. The problem here is not them labeling themselves but you figuring that's all there is to them because you stopped listening.

[Lydenburg]

Identity politics.

[Old Tyrannia]

Human beings enjoy categorising things. It makes the world easier to understand if we can break it up into neat little rows and columns, like an Excel spreadsheet.

[Lydenburg]

Some understood the purpose of them by the time they're old enough to post on the forums. Others? Not so much and may never get past it. There's people who want to abolish gender much to my displeasure.

Why?

Part and parcel of abolishing snowflakes. Loss of individuality.

[Forsher]

Sometimes people find meaning, solidarity or even authority.

Imagine, for instance, that someone is suggesting that, say, London is ethnically homogeneous. John might then respond by saying, "As a Londoner, I can tell you this is not the case". It could be, though, Manchester based MPs are condemning the City. It could be that identifying with a specific place (in our example London) provides a sense of where home is... belonging is pretty powerful a concept.

Now, that being said, I don't believe in political labels except for very vague ones. I don't find them particularly helpful because what matters is less what, say, ethical nihilism believes about x issue and more what you, who may be an ethical nihilist, believes given this specific thing thinks... which may or may not be relevant to your status as an ethical nihilist. I think it is better to take each thing as it is than it is to take each thing within a broader and, perhaps, complete framework. Also, I can't be bothered learning what, say, ethical nihilism is... unless that is x.

Labels can also be a response... some broader identity (label) that doesn't matter to you most of the time can become important in certain moments.

[Kraylandia]

Because humans are very social animals, and they like to fit in with similar people.

[The Austria-Hungary]

Asian-American, Hispanic-American, etc.

Hipster, Punk, Prep

And pretty much all the -isms

Or even just identifying as a citizen from a country.

I just don't get why people would want to label themselves or refer to themselves as a label. I mean it's always felt sort of bullshit to me at least. I don't care about my ethnicity, why should I? I mean, I guess I'm "American" but, what does that even mean? What does it mean to be an American? A white picket fence and a golden retriever? Hot Dogs and the Ball Game? No thanks.

Do I have to join any specific sub-culture? Why can't I just pick and choose between all of them?

Do I have to fully subscribe to any philosophy to appreciate philosophy and discuss it? Be it political or not?

The answer to all of the above is no, at least for me. However, my question to you is why would it be "yes" for you?

Thats because people have ALWAYS labeled themselves. .

[Shamhnan Insir]

Tribalism. Also may stem from unconscious instinctual actions to avoid and minimize disease risk.

[Valystria]

Sometimes labelling is of practical utility.

[The Blaatschapen]

If I weren't labeled, I would shrink, because people would wash me too hot.

[Ifreann]

If I weren't labeled, I would shrink, because people would wash me too hot.

Would that be a bad thing? You could be mini-Blaat!

[Internationalist Bastard]

It's about being part of a community. I honestly hate not being given orders

[Yootxtlalkaan]

there was a good tumblr post about this actually:

[Dumb Ideologies]

Woooh, I'm floating around in a completely autonomous void without categories or names.

I'd tell you what it's like but we just deleted all adjectives.

[Valystria]

Woooh, I'm floating around in a completely autonomous void without categories or names.

I'd tell you what it's like but we just deleted all adjectives.

Your label is "nameless one" or "one without adjectives".

[Imperium Sidhicum]

My nationality and profession are the only labels I'm ever sticking on myself.

[The Blaatschapen]

Woooh, I'm floating around in a completely autonomous void without categories or names.

I'd tell you what it's like but we just deleted all adjectives.

Your label is "nameless one" or "one without adjectives".

She Who Shall Not Be Named

[Blakullar]

The way I see it, labels tend to be placed so as to allow human beings to associate with one another. We are, after all, social creatures who crave company. It's more or less the same reason that we have friendships and form secluded groupings.

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[Havenburgh]

I dont like to label myself other than for one thing: human. Thats who I am, and I am proud to be one. Human.

[Havenburgh]

Sad part being human is used as something negative these days. Like the saying "I am only human" I remember when we used that as a motive to strive for the better, not as a excuse. I read when people said "I am a human being!" As a motive to go out and make a difference. Now the term is being used for a excuse to sit on our ass.

[The United Colonies of Earth]

Woooh, I'm floating around in a completely autonomous void without categories or names.

I'd tell you what it's like but we just deleted all adjectives.

Without identity there is nothing.