Label This!

I remember when those old-fashioned label makers first came out. I must have been in middle-school. Yea I am that old (but unlike some, I don’t try to hide it).

I mean they were kinda like the Ipod of that era…a typewriter you could hold in your hand.

And you could stick the output onto anything.

That made me want to label pretty much everything…and I drove my mom crazy doing so.

And so it goes with our society.

I believe the tendency to label actually pre-existed the label maker.

As much as I loved that clunky plastic label maker, I have “grown up” to despise labels…at least the kind people try to stick on me.

Consider the following common labels and corresponding reactions that each label engenders…

If you are conservative (because somebody labeled you that way), then you will want to label everyone else, as well as every idea, as follows…

• Conservative – Love ’em
• Liberal – Hate ’em
• Moderately Nuts – Ignore ’em
• Completely Nuts – Lock ’em up

Conversely, if you are liberally labeled, it would be more along the following lines…

• Conservative – Hate ’em
• Liberal – Love ’em
• Moderately Nuts – Ignore ’em
• Completely Nuts – Recruit ’em

I am being slightly facetious with the above.

The truth is that labeling is an insidious impact blinder.

Why?

For instance do you tend to vote a straight party ticket come election time?

Do you really know what each candidate’s position is on the issues that matter? Or, do you just assume you know because of the label?

Of course, if they have been labeled their positions do tend to march in lockstep with what is deemed consistent with the label…

Can’t you see a problem with all this? Take a look at the comments on political blogs. They’re all label ready.

The conservative commenters deem the liberal ones unfit for above ground existence and the liberal ones reciprocate with the same lack of respect.

Every once in a while a moderately nuts or completely nuts commenter will chime in and then both sides tend to jump on that poor sucker to remind him that his opinions really aren’t welcome in this, or any, forum.

I know that last one from experience.

It doesn’t matter if a “liberal” idea is a good one, or vice versa for a conservative idea…those bearing the opposite label just aren’t going to give it one iota of merit.

So, I say toss the label makers.

They’re outdated in this day and age.

What we need are just good ideas.

A really good idea is good for everyone…not just the conservatives, or the liberals.

Is it even remotely possibly for us to see things that way?

I suggest that if we remove the impact blinder of our tendency to label, it just might be possible.

You can label this post completely nuts…

I don’t mind.

image credit: Kim Tracy Prince via Compfight cc