Why are people labelling themselves to the public?

1. 80

   ptosisposted 8 years ago

   Why are people labelling themselves to the public?
   
   Just learned that an aromantic is a person who experiences little or no romantic attraction to others. Why would anybody go around pigeon-holing themselves like that?  Couldn't a person be not be into  somebody at the moment and then feel totally different the next day?
   
   

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2. 82

   tamarawilhiteposted 8 years ago

   1. Virtue signalling by taking on a label or endorsing a label associated with the political left as having a higher moral status than the average person.
   2. To get attention by adopting such a label.

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3. 46

   Ericdierkerposted 8 years ago

   There is a quite interesting concept regarding our identity. If we walk around calling ourselves something that is how we view ourselves. It really comes from a philosopher dude named Wittgenstein who basically was a contextual linguistic logician hailing from the school of Bowsma.
   So I knew a guy I would meet twice a week. We were in the terminal cancer ward as outpatients. Twice a week we would get all hopped up on chemotherapy. My sister would come and kind of repeat the mantra that we were winners and were more than our condition. My buddy Sean never bought into that idea. He called himself a terminal cancer patient. And he died about 8 weeks into a regimen. He saw himself as someone dying and he did. I viewed my self as a victor over hell on earth and I was.
   The way we use words actually defines us. Call yourself a housewife instead of the most wonderful mom and part time writer and you will never write that novel.
   Classify and frame yourself as a victim and you are one. Contextually say you are a victor and you become that victor. You are what you label yourself. I knew this great gay lawyer during the time that "coming out" was really a cool statement and badge of courage. When he came out he visualized himself as a gay man. Somehow he forgot that he was a great lawyer and went to shit.
   I have yet to meet a person fighting to identify themselves as sexually unique who should be given special treatment that was in the least bit good at being a "student" or professional.
   Right now I identify myself as writer first -- then the dad, husband, brother stuff and I sure as hell do not identify my self as a cancer patient.
   Why, for what ever reason would I identify myself by the prowess of my penis or my vagina?
   In fact I do not identify myself so much as the father of my 31 year old son. We have been there and done that. And buddies is a whole lot more fitting to our mutual relationship now.
   Hey, too much to drink can give you ED, why would you call yourself a Unic?

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4. 69

   dashingscorpioposted 8 years ago

   
   
   I believe it's human nature to want to avoid being in "the gray".
   We either label ourselves or others place labels on us.
   Sometimes it's nothing more than a "fun exercise" people engage in to have lively conversations with one another.
   For generations personality tests such as Myers-Briggs have been a topic of discussion and some employers use such tests in their hiring process. Some people love to talk about zodiac signs.
   I'm a "this" or a "that"; People whose favorite color is blue....etc
   Generally speaking when a person labels them self they do so based upon knowledge of their history and (their) own outlook or level of interest pertaining a subject.
   They see it as a fact or actual description not as a limitation.
   If someone describes them self as being "anti-social" they should know! Having said that it doesn't mean they'll never change..
   It's not unheard for someone to say: "I use to be.....whatever."
   The label they use is for today and for the "foreseeable future".

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   1. 46

      Ericdierkerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Yes that self labeling is astoundingly self fulfilling.

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   2. 80

      ptosisposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I remember having to take the Brigg-Meyers test, out of 16 people, 4 were labeled INTP, and they gave us another test to find out what went wrong in their hiring process  .   lol

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5. 71

   tsmogposted 8 years ago

   I don’t know why but the first thing that popped into my mind was the book ‘The Red Badge of Courage’. Maybe it is apropos?
   
   I am not sure if the person pigeon holed themselves or did as Eric suggested undertook a new label instead of another. Maybe someone felt rejection and labeled her/him as gay publicly? So, s/he undertook the label of being aromantic? Perhaps that was a case of consequence and also empowerment through social media?
   
   Regard can a person change I believe in some to many cases . . . yes.

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