As we interact with one another, we
generally find ourselves declaring our university majors, political
allegiances, and religious affiliations.
As we do so, we are not only joining groups of like-minded people, but
we are also indulging the human impulse to identify and label ourselves. And by doing so, we necessarily
separate ourselves into groups comprised of “us” and “them.”
separate ourselves into groups comprised of “us” and “them.”
In the act of labelling others,
we often lose the nuances of people’s personalities and opinions. Many of society’s
ills can be traced back, at least in part, to the oversimplification of issues
through the process of labelling. Political
gridlock, religious intolerance (Jesse B), conflict over political correctness
(Rachel M and Chloe M), and the disdain that often exists between academic
disciplines are often the result of oversimplifying people and problems through
labeling. (Jenna P). Problems arise when, upon meeting someone, we assign them
a label—like "English Major," "Utah Mormon,"
"Rebublican," "White," "Gay"—and immediately
allow our predetermined views of such categories of people to skew our view of
them or their opinions.
By trying to label ourselves, we can inadvertently limit our own thoughts, opinions, and even identities. Often we seem to discard all other aspects of our identity when we try to conform ourselves to some preexisting label. For instance, one who self-identifies as pro-choice may feel compelled to adopt other generally associated policy positions in the pursuit of ideological purity. Thus, the supporter of the pro-choice platform may ultimately feel pressure to support marriage-equality and permissive drug laws.
By trying to label ourselves, we can inadvertently limit our own thoughts, opinions, and even identities. Often we seem to discard all other aspects of our identity when we try to conform ourselves to some preexisting label. For instance, one who self-identifies as pro-choice may feel compelled to adopt other generally associated policy positions in the pursuit of ideological purity. Thus, the supporter of the pro-choice platform may ultimately feel pressure to support marriage-equality and permissive drug laws.
This kind of labelling is
ultimately a form of social tribalism. In
the sophisticated social structure in which we now live, this overly simple
tribalism is no longer necessary. Society is safe enough for people and
positions complete with complicated nuance. However, if we persist to engage in
simple labelling, we will continue to manufacture differences and force
unnecessary conflict.
