Do you think that humans have invented too many lables?

Question

In regards to people.

Answer 1

Yes, it's unfortunate because labels tend to focus on often-irrelevant differences and therefore serve to divide people instead of bringing them together.

However, that's also how our brains work. We live in a very complex world with lots of stimuli. Our brains make sense of it all by putting things we experience into boxes that we label. Sometimes those boxes don't make logical sense but that's how we operate. On a very basic level, this capability developed as a survival mechanism. If we could quickly decide if something is dangerous or harmless, it helped us cope with a complex world.

Sociologically, humans are tribal. Which means unfortunately, that there will always be insiders and outsiders. From this tendency springs all these labels.

We are also subject to labels put forth by pundits and the media. It's all too easy to just follow the crowd and conventional thought. The challenge is to think for ourselves and reject labels that are stupid or meaningless.

Answer 2

Oh, who knows. Labels for some have more meaning and keep things in order? For others , like myself, I don't see labels as anything but a description of a thing or person, not always good or bad. I need more information to judge or make any remarks about a group of people who may be labeled. I'm white, that's a label but I'm a lot of other things too. becomes important if you don't know or can't see me for me to be labeled. It's just information unless you use it to make judgments without knowing the person or circumstances. So, the answer is yes and no, depending on who you are and how you use them.

Answer 3

You know what it all comes down to? Stuff. There is not enough stuff for everybody. You know what I mean... land, food, water, wealth. So we have to divide ourselves into groups to defend our stuff.

The way we divide ourselves doesn't really matter. If there are physical differences, we make groups based on those and call it "race." If there are no physical differences, then we divide based on language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, class, education level, nationality, style of dress... anything!

So nobody is just a person. Instead he's a straight African-American middle-class intellectual Muslim New Yorker. Or whatever.

It makes it easier to dismiss people. You don't have to get to know a label.

Answer 4

Yes, I do! People judge people before knowing them so they label people! I have been labeled alot. I dont like it cuz none of them are true! I know it is easy to label. I admit that I have, but I try not to! You should get to know someone before you judge! Maybe the person acts that way becasue they have been labeled, they figure they need to act a certain way!

Answer 5

Let me see ... too many labels?

I shall count them out in random order.

First, and my personal favourite, the female !!!
Second, not as beautiful as their counterpart, the male !!!

Well, this study has come up with two lables.

I'm cool with those lables.

Answer 6

Its what our mind is designed to do naturally. In ancient times (hunter-gatherer) our minds had to quickly assess whether something was a threat or not. That labeling has evolved to include racism, stereotypes, and Jesus' face in potato chips. Its all about pattern recognition.

Answer 7

labels are helpful in organizing information, they are dangerous when miss applied to people. placing all similar people in the same label forces the innocent to be found guilty by association. Martin Luther King Jr. in his i have a dream speech said "I dream of a time when my children will be judged not by the color of their skin but by their character. may we allow for individuality in our bias disposition, and still find safety and security.

Answer 8

yes!!!!!