Live GR: Labels, labels, labels (Friday 19th of March, 7:30pm AEST)
Hello everyone! How are you all going?
So.. we decided to reschedule our live GR this month for the 19th (this Friday) so we'd have more time to prepare. Sorry about that- we appreciate your understanding! 🙂
This Friday we'll be chatting about everything 'labels'. But what do we mean by 'labels'? Well that's part of the reason we're discussing them, to figure out what the heck they are!
But I think, well, labels can be both good and bad. I think labels are tools used to communicate that something or someone belongs to a group or a category. E.g. They can be a useful way of describing that you belong to a group of people. Or they might be something that is often forced on you by others 😞
According to the dictionary definition, a label is "a word or a phrase that is used to describe the characteristics or qualities of people, activities, or things, often in a way that is unfair"
Well, true, labeling can be unfair, someone might label themself as 'useless' for example, and that wouldn't be a very helpful label, because all it would do is make them feel bad about themselves.
BUT many people find that discovering a label that suits them is a great thing, like they finally fit into a group. Or for some it might be about the label of a diagnosis that finally gets them the help they need. Many feelings can come from labels, and those feelings can change with time. And so can labels. Labels aren't permanent! Some people find labels very confusing, and might prefer not to use them for themselves, and that's totally okay!
So I think labels can be good and bad, and they should be encouraged when people find them helpful and positive, but also finding a label shouldn't be a process that is forced on everyone. It's more just an option that's out there if you want!
Anyway, I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's ideas and experiences with labels in Friday's discussion! I hope to see you there 🙂 
This was such an insightful and wonderful discussion! I'm sorry I couldn't make it last night, but I'm gonna answer the questions now and present my perspective on this issue:
1. What are labels, and who creates them? Which factors or criteria can influence labels?
I think labels are ways to describe particular groups of people, and can either be positive or negative. Cultural and social norms have a big impact on attitudes towards particular labels,
2. What are some advantages or disadvantages of using labels for yourself and other people?
Labels group people based on similar characteristics, so it's a quick way to identify and understand someone. However, labels contribute to generalisation. People often assume that identifying with a certain label means that you must act in a certain manner, which isn't necessarily the case. People are diverse, and I feel like labels undermine the unique attributes of a person. If a label has negative connotations, then labels can contribute to false and harmful perceptions of other people.
3. Can labels affect our thoughts, attitudes and actions towards ourselves as well as others?
Absolutely! Labels carry connotations, which affects societal attitudes and perceptions of people with those labels. We can internalise these attitudes and perceptions, which affects our actions towards ourselves as well as others. Peer pressure, social acceptance, and other factors can contribute to our internalisation of labels, even if we become aware of the true meaning of the label.
4. How can we tell if a label is right for us? What are some signs that we belong in a particular community? What happens if you get rejected by that community?
If we feel positive emotions such as happiness, then I think that a label could be right for us. Likewise, if we're experiencing positive feelings when thinking or interacting with a community, then we might belong with them.
5. Have you ever had a label forced onto you? How did it feel, did it change things for you in any way?
I personally can't think of any instances of labels being forced onto me. However, I think this would be a good time to explain the concept of stereotype threat. This is essentially when we feel as though our actions will confirm stereotypes about a particular group, which contributes to stress and anxiety. Numerous studies have shown that stereotype threat contributes to worsened academic performance, lower self-esteem, and other areas of life. As a Muslim, I feel obligated to avoid misconceptions of Islam as "violent, extreme, oppressive, etc.". Although I haven't had labels forced on me, I feel like I need to act a certain way, otherwise I'll confirm that Islam is "violent, extreme, etc."
6. Can the meaning of a label change over time? What about on a community level?
Labels can definitely change over time. Labels and slurs have been reclaimed by communities who were originally victims of them. That being said, I think marginalised communities should have responsibility over the meaning of labels with harmful connotations. They're the ones who've gone through the experiences associated with negative labels and slurs, so they should be able to dictate whether they want these labels to continue on. I personally don't believe that communities who haven't been targeted should decide the meaning of labels on behalf of these marginalised communities.
(sorry for the spam or if I missed anyone who might be interested, everyone is welcome to join!) @Tiny_leaf @geek28 @hunginc @WheresMySquishy @Hozzles @A_Friend @featuringme @VT_Rajah12 @MB95 @AngelJoy @xXLexi_Lou122Xx @Rattata
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Wake up, it's time for this month's live GR!
Here's our first question:
What are labels, and who creates them? Which factors or criteria can influence labels?
What are labels, and who creates them? Which factors or criteria can influence labels?
I think labels are something used to communicate that someone (or something) belongs to a group of things with similar characteristics. You can label yourself or someone can label you. Who creates them? I guess anyone can create labels! I suppose in terms of criteria influencing labels, sometimes people can be excluded from groups because others say they don't meet certain criteria? Also different factors can influence how certain labels are perceived.
Sometimes life can feel a bit like a conveyor belt where society labels us in a millisecond
RESIST THE CONVEYOR BELT
Time for the next question I reckon!
What are some advantages or disadvantages of using labels for yourself and other people?
What are some advantages or disadvantages of using labels for yourself and other people?
I feel like there are more advantages for using them for yourself because it’s less pressure if you feel like your identity is different than before so you can personally just shift your perception of yourself. It is a little confusing if you get too caught up in the details of how things are described but ultimately they can really help you understand yourself and you identity.
Using labels for other people is harder because once someone associates a certain label with you, there’s less flexibility for you to change that label based on how you identify and can be put into boxes pretty quickly. They can be helpful though in helping someone else understand how you identify and want to be treated as a result of that.
What are some advantages or disadvantages of using labels for yourself and other people?
Advantages:
- Efficient way to categorise people
Disadvantages:
- Incorrect inferences about people can be made based on little information you have of them which can have many negative consequences
I agree @hunginc, it's definitely efficient but it can be harmful inferring things about people from very little
@Lost_Space_Explorer5 Paired with a pessimistic explanatory style can be disastrous
Can labels affect our thoughts, attitudes and actions towards ourselves as well as others?
Labels can be affect our thinking patterns via self-fulfilling prophecy in that they can reinforce thoughts and/or behaviours consistent with a particular attribute/characteristic hence, limiting us to said thoughts/behaviours
What are labels, and who creates them? Which factors or criteria can influence labels?
Labels reflect a certain characteristic(s) of a person/group
We create them
Insufficient information on the person/group that is to be labelled - in other words, people could be more likely to label others if they do not know enough about said characteristic/circumstance etc if that makes sense. This probably needs a citation too haha
@WheresMySquishy Mmm labels can definitely be associated with negative stereotypes which can lead to stigma. This ties in perfectly with our previous GR chat 😛
What are some advantages or disadvantages of using labels for yourself and other people?
I think that a label can make identifying yourself and other people easier in some ways. Labels can be used to get support if you have a particular diagnosis, and getting that diagnosis may feel like a relief because you finally have a word to classify your symptoms. They can also be a helpful tool to explain your identity to other people. However, I feel like labels don't tell the whole story behind a person, and they ignore the fact that many people from the same group can be a lot different from each other. Labels can also be used to stigmatise people from particular groups or communities and create an 'us versus them' mentality. People can also feel like they have to act a certain way because they are attached to a particular label.
Yes yes yes @WheresMySquishy I couldn't put it better
Labels can mean anything from relief, to belonging, to having a stronger sense of yourself.
What are some advantages or disadvantages of using labels for yourself and other people?
Other than what's already been said, an advantage could be fast communicating with others. This could be communicating a diagnosis, your identity, or anything really! A disadvantage can be feeling like you don't fit into any group and that causing a lot of confusion and anxiety in itself. Also when labels lead to prejudice and discrimination.
Time for question 3:
Can labels affect our thoughts, attitudes and actions towards ourselves as well as others?
I'm not sure what you mean @hunginc, do you mean that if you're more pessimistic and you infer things about people, you're more likely to assume the worst in people?
Can labels affect our thoughts, attitudes and actions towards ourselves as well as others?
Oh yes, definitely. We see things we want to see, like a confirmation bias of sorts. If we think we're a bad person, we'll see only our faults. If you see someone as belonging to a group, you're more likely to find evidence that keeps them in the box you've assigned them to. People are so much more than a label, even if that label is a positive thing. You've got to look at the person as a whole and be open to learning new things about them and yourself
@Lost_Space_Explorer5 Pessimistic explanatory style is a way we explain a certain experience for ourselves. For example, someone with this explanatory style will tend to blame themselves for negative events, will believe that these events will persist, and affect many others aspects of their life if that makes any sense haha. If in doubt Google Explanatory Styles (Martin Segliman has contributed a fair bit to this)
ooh okay so it's like whether you attribute something to internal or external events @hunginc?
Time for the next question!
How can we tell if a label is right for us? What are some signs that we belong in a particular community? What happens if you get rejected by that community?
