Why do we label things...what are the benefits of being labelled?

Question

Are there any benefits?

Answer 1

we label or pigeon hole things because it helps us identify quickly the people we belong with. It's used as a grouping mechanism to help determine possible mates (in both senses of the word).

Although a lot of stereotypes are negative their is often a general consensus that it is accurate, which of cause it is not. for example all old people are bad at getting to grips with technology or that all young people are violent.

Answer 2

people label things for identity so they can understand it or condition rather than the person or thing they wish to identify as it may not be the "normal".
Many years ago my child was born with a disability which was undiagnosed and very severe. I found it very difficult to get any of the disability benefits for her becasue we had no label for her condition. In other word they could not find her condition in a medical book with a name so therefore to them she had no condition that they could identify with to give her her benefits. Not only did it cause a great deal of distress by trying to explain the condition it ended up with a visit to confirm i was telling the truth.
The benefit of a label would have been months of heartbreak saved.
It is one of the reasons why I hate the nanny state of "labelling" not everything has a label and there are people unfortunatly who will not accept this.For some everything has a name and a place however that is not the real world.
Hope that gives some understanding to what you have asked in a practical way.

Answer 3

I label things such as bottles of wine, and other concoctions. The reason I do so is to remember what is in the bottle. I do not have a bad memory, it is just that sometimes two bottles of wine can look exactly the same but taste very different.

The other reason I label things, is so that other people who were not involved in the production of the product know roughly what is inside and what might happen to them if they drink my wine.

A label will not tell you everything about what is inside, but it should give you a good indication if you trust the person (or company or country) who labelled the bottle of wine.

The benefits of being labelled are that there is a quality assurance given to a recognised name brand, and there is a reputation attached. This gives the product an immediate trust bridge with the customer if that customer has tasted your product before.

The benefits of a label are therefore

a) Trust
b) Knowledge (given a)
c) Perfect information about the product

All foodstuffs have potential to contain harmful contents. If you know what these contents are you are forewarned.

For example, the use of sodium metabisulphite in the process of wine making can cause irritation to certain asthmatics or people allergic to aspirins. It is the free sulphites which preserve the wine and are used extensively in wine making to preserve and arrest yeast.

Normal levels of sulphites in wine are way above the level for which they should be labelled as containing sulphites. This is a relatively new regulation in the EU (2005), and so look out for this information on any new bottles of wine if you are asthmatic.

Answer 4

Well, there is objective labeling, such as a label that says a food product contains peanuts. I think that type of label is good, because it can save someone's life.

It's the subjective labeling that I think has absolutely no purpose. I think people just do it because they are comfortable putting things, or people, into groups. The problem is that once you put someone or something in an easily categorized group, you can just as easily forget to see it for what it is. We tend to forget that that type of labeling is just a subjective impression, and not really fixed in reality.

If you introduce me to someone and tell me that she is a conservative Republican Christian Bible-thumper, it would be very easy for me to dismiss her because of those labels, and because none of those labels describe anything close to me or what I believe in. However, if I do that, and simply dismiss her, I am doing both myself and her a disservice. I am not allowing her to show me who she really is, and I am not allowing myself to discover for myself if she is someone with whom I can be friends or not. For all anyone knows, she and I see eye to eye on almost everything except those few labels you chose to apply to her. The point is I don't find out for sure unless I get to know her, which I might very well not do if I take labels too seriously.

I hate to sound like a sentimental fool, but I think the world would be a better place if we paid less attention to labels, and more attention to facts.

Answer 5

To be labeled is to appear to be understood. It means the labeler has a concept of what you are like. No label, no understanding.

So the problem isn't the labeling, the problem is the inaccuracy and incompleteness of the label. All labels are incomplete--none can reflect the uniqueness of what is labeled. Some labels are inaccurate as well, and that can cause all kinds of havoc and pain.

But labels can't be done away with. If I abandon the idea that I can understand someone, all I've done is give them another label--"incomprehensible". After that, what can they hope for from me?

Answer 6

A label is just a name given to a group of things. You have a name as a person, and that's basically a label for the whole you as opposed to a name for your arm, a name for your neck, etc. It's much easier to say "give the ball to John" than "give the ball to John's left hand." So the benefit of labels is to just make things simpler.

Answer 7

One benefit of labelling someone is that if you get the label in the right place IT SHUT'S THEM UP

Answer 8

It's a form of communication, so people understand what you are referring to. But, becomes set in stone, then people don't have to think around it, between it, above it, below it, they just accept it as fact and forget about all the grey areas. Labels stop us from thinking outside the box, but without references we would not be able to communicate our thoughts. Only they are limiting. Even the most astute academic can only reason within the boundaries set by our labels and definitions. We need a wider landscape for our thoughts and notions to flourish.

Answer 9

We label things because we need to have a basic understanding of what something/one is. The benefits of being labelled is time-saving when desribing something/one to someone else

Answer 10

A label allows pidgeon-holing. It means you belong. The benefit is that you are no longer alone after you got the label. You belong somewhere.