my beef with labels

welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, an 18 y/o always up to something in social good x tech.

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onto today’s topic: my beef with labels 📛 

with each label comes a pre-determined set of assumptions and values that you also place on yourself as soon as you wear that namecard.

as a society, we seem to really love labeling everything. while that is great for greater, general understanding for humanity as a whole, it’s not so great at an individual level. after all, we are individuals, and the concept of a label literally defies that individuality. the closest label you’ll get is your name, but that too has become pretty boxed into a criteria.

for example, if i say the name kevin … some sort of image forms in your head, right? 😭 that image then becomes preconceived beliefs of that person.

are you a republican or a democrat?

are you a coffee or tea person?

are you a night owl or an early riser?

labels don’t enable spectrum, yet a large majority of us actually fall in that spectrum. it’s so black and white. 🔲 

i can definitely see how labels can be a way for people to find community. aligning on these same beliefs through a label or identity of course can be empowering for some. still, i believe those labels and the set of assumptions they come with still just set up a very basic, foundational understanding of a person — there are so many nuances and quirks to people that a few words can’t possibly summarize.

i’m not saying labels are wrong or right. i’m saying that the identity that they build by themselves doesn’t actually showcase who i am personally. even just the simple, factual label of being 18 has its own onset of assumptions and biases. 👶 

labels are tricky: they foster both community and judgement. it’s tough picking and choosing.

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