what is label it?

what’s label it? Labels are for jeans and jars. And they're used on people too... But what do they mean and why do we use them? Labels can feel like oppressive stereotypes, or they can be a source of pride and comfort. Finding a group to identify with is sometimes an important part of the process of defining who you are--but defining anyone solely by the way they look, what they believe, or something they like or do is usually an insult to the many dimensions that make up a person. What's in a name? A LOT! Have a look at where some labels came from and where they're going...

Comments

[Rakia]

I am a really different African American female. I have multi-heritage, and I am who I am and don't really try to think about it or hate it when I do. I can't stand the thought of dressing or being like people around me. I have my own style and my owns ways and I'm just me. Feel me? Anyways, this labeling thing has gotten completely out of hands. I don't get it. People will always try to label you as something regardless of if they believe it themselves. It is always people trying to devalue your worth. Some times it can be very hard to ignore. I know that and all, but the main thing is t hat you know that you need to stay true to yourselfs so if you decide to stay true to yourself, comment about it, or simply just ignore it nothing can break you. I am trying my best to not care what other people think, not care what other people say, love myself, and live without friends(of course, I have friends but not a lot LOL! mostly associates & acquaintices). People can't stand the fact that I am different, pretty, a diva, down to earth, a queen, and just me. I don't care what they say or at least not try to. Whenever somebody label you, just stay true to you. While they are labeling you, you are probably doing the exact same thing about them. It is alright and all good. People can take everythang that you have, but they can never take away your truth. The question is always: Can they handle mine/yours.

[HeatherNicolee.]

Honestly, lebels are just names. why worry qabout what other people say. I get called scene. or people say im asian...when fact is i may wear colored skinny jeans. long black hair...i look like them famouse scene people on myspace. doesnt mean anything and im not asian. labels are just opinions, people just need to learn to ignore them. or fight back of they are unnessacsary, fact is people will always call you names

[Leah]

You know what? I like being, "LABELED". Not that I'm labeled bad, or called a geek...
No, the kids in my class label me as 'smart'. Not a nerd, not a geek and definitely not a freak. I'm known for trying hard, and when I don't get it, I try harder. I know this girl in my class--let's call her Brooke. She was talking with another girl, one of my friends. I overheard them as I was walking down the stairs, and she said, "Oh, your partners with Leah? That's good, she's really one top of things."
Another instence was in my history class, our teacher told us to turn to the person next to us and say something nice. This boy, Matt, turned to me and said, "Leah, you are really smart."

Both comments made me feel over the moon. Sometimes, I feel like I'm putting in all this effort and I don't get any credit or reconition. It's just nice to know that my classmates and my friends ask me questions because they are confident in me. They want to be my friend, my partner in an assignment and my boyfriened because of how I try. It's just a nice feeling.

[Famous]

I always get called a emo just because i dress different and my hair color is dark but the only reason i have dark hair is because im native american oh yeah i also get called a red nigger just for being indian and it hurts my feelings getting called that.And even when they call me a emo it hurts my feelings i tell them im not emo just because i don't dress like a slut that don't make me a emo...i wear ripped jeans and tight jeans so they call me a emo oh let me not forget about the shirts i wear with skulls on them but that don't make me emo now does it?no it just makes me different

[Amy]

labels r really unnecessary,some people use it sometimes to make others feel bad which is completely dumb,but in the other hand ,people who r labeled should ignore it,coz if they think about it too much it would really hurt them more..

[jane doe]

Shelly your problem sucks! i think you should just talk to her about your feelings, if she is a real friend she'll understand. and no matter what, no boy should ever come between you guys.

[jane doe]

i don't like being labeled either because it only lets people see the side of you that they want to see, not the side of u that u want everyone to see. if you are labeled then people will only look at you as that, even the people that don't know you, they only go by what you are called or described as and if they don't like what you are described as then they wont even try to get to know you and i believe that's just plain wrong!

[shelly]

my best friend is going out with a boy that i still love...what shoutld i do????

[You might think so]

Labels are in the everyday society. People try not to use them but half the time you don't even notice that you do. No one likes to be labeled because they're put in a catagory and not considered a individual. In life it depends how you use them, if it's a beat-down labeling remark then it's unnessary. I've been labeled my whole life because my styles have changed and my hair is dark. So people asks me if I'm a certain genre. of people. It doesn't bother me though because it's not the only time I'm going to hear it you just have to cope with society. You can't change it. That's to difficult.

[Jordan]

I'm sick of being labeled as a stoner, preppy, stuck up bitch. I'm not. I'm actually a good person. I just get defensive towards people that dont know me. So seriously, get to know me before you judge me. Yeah, I may make dumb decisions sometimes, but hell, who doesnt? Who are you to judge the life i lead? I know I'm not perfect, but before you start pointing fingers, make sure your own hands are clean- Bob Marley.

Oh and for future reference, if you are 12 or even up to 15, don't pose like a slut on your myspace or facebook if you don't want to be called a slut. Myspace and facebook have age limits for a reason, don't sign up until you meet that age requirement. And if you do decide to sign up and pose whore-ish, don't get defensive or get upset when people call you names. You asked for it.

Anyways, just be your own person and let the little stuff go. You are stuck in junior high for awhile, high school for 4 years then college. Face it, youre not always going to be liked. And youre not always going to like everyone else. So before you talk smack about someone else, make sure that you take a look in the mirror.

[jessica]

labels about things that people cant help like race and sexual preferences and disabilities are hurtful and unnecessary but ones about being "emo" and "scene" are just stupid. you are the kind of kids who complain for sympathy online and then go get drunk with your 12 year old friends behind the seven eleven and "dont give a fuck what people say" HI if you dont give a fuck what people say stop saying you hate labels. if you dont want to be made fun of dont ask for it seriously. grow up and take a look around the world dosnt revolve around you. high school is 4 years of your life and guess what? people are going to be mean. if you hate it so much then do something about it.

[Jessica]

Hey I really know where you guys are coming from. I was raped by my older half brother and ever since people found out about it, I have been called an incest bitch and I have been called a whore and so many other nasty things it isn't even appropriate to say it. Just remember that when someone hurts you it's only because you give them the power to. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. One of the smartest women in the world said that and I absolutely believe every word of it.

[Annonomys]

"You must be the change you wish to see in this world" -Gandhi

[Alicia]

I think all labels are absolutley ridiculous.
Nobody should be labeled by the way they dress. Because thats all labels are actually. I hate when people call me a prep, because I am far from being labeled as anything, people just have to fit me into some type of mold because of an article of clothing I wear.
Just because I wear abercrombie pants does not fit me into the label as a prep, its just I simply fit into the pants. I am only 85 pounds and 5 foot, being this small i have to wear what fits. Just because I wear that doesnt make me a prep. It makes me a PERSON.

Everyone, please stop trying to fit yourself or other people into a label. Its ridiculous and pointless because most people fit someone into a label then dont talk to them because of that label. Those people miss out on chances to make good friends. I, myself have friends of all different "Labels".

I dont see labels, race,religion, or anything. I see presonality. Thats the way everyone should be.

[shyrece]

i think being labled gives others only one way to Look at u. my friends see me as a jock when really theres a sensiTive side of me i just wish they would see it

[Anonymous]

I've been labeled emo, goth and scene, which really got me annoyed. I mean, people in reality nowadays are using these terms in such a wrong way. If you're called goth, it doesn't mean that you wear black clothes all day long and I suppose "worship the devil" (I mean, you do wear black, but your style is very detailed and Victorian). Or if you're called "indie", it doesn't mean that mainstream is totally dead to you (trust me. I've seen a butt loads of other indie folks, drinking Starbucks, which in Urban Dictionary, there's this stupid "Indie Oath" saying that if you're an indie, you shouldn't drink anything mainstream.). Honestly, people should get themselves straight and figure what SUBCULTURE they're into, rather than LABELING themselves as "emo", "scene" or "goth". If you want to be part of a subculture, learn about the history, the music influences and the way how they dress (for instance a beatnick, which they dress fully black and listen to jazz, and they go to coffee houses and read or write poetry/stories). Labeling is a very wrong thing because if you're labeling yourself, you would be called as something you're not. So instead of LABELING yourselves, why not get into a certain SUBCULTURE.
I'm not here to support the word "label" but it bugs me that people are having a big deal with labels and stereotypes. The word labeling shouldn't even exist, but only to labeling jars and cans as a name or some brand and we ought to keep it that way, rather than labeling our individuality. And whoever started this whole labeling crap, I'd blame this on the scene kids, for being stupid and shallow, just so they can start stealing different styles and claim that it's theirs. I apologize to those who are "scene", but I gotta admit that it's true that your style is a copycat of the emos, the indies, the goths and etc.

[Shelby]

Well, I live in a very tiny school. Basically, me and my three other friends are the bottom of the stack. If you are not in sports, you are pretty much nobody in my town. I loathe sports, so, bottom of the stack. The funny thing is is that all of the higher social class people will just end up moving back to their home town, since they can't stand being nobody in the real world.

[alycious]

I hate that people say that they're against labels, and then turn around and comment about how they're "high society", or "scene, not emo", or whatever else. If you don't want to be labelled, and if you don't want to be treated unfairly or treat others unfairly, then why don't you just be yourself? PS: I would also like to note that the person who said they are "higher in society" has horrible grammatical skills. I don't care who you are, who you know, or what you wear; there's no excuse for stupidity or ignorance. I guess that really is all that needs to be said for 'labels'.

[jxjuvenescence]

I'm tired of my friends calling me Emo. I'm not going through issues in life! They don't even know what emo is, because I'm really scene. They're my friends but I don't think they like the change.

[Ang]

Labels are indifferent to me. When I look at ppl i sometimes label them or when i hear a story about a person I would label them by their actions. But ppl change so labels will constantly change and eventually ppl won't be too concerned about them anymore. You can have friends for differents reasons. Its nothin wrong wit that. Labels are on clothes who are you to put them on ppl.
-Ang.

[Meeshba]

Labels are WRONG! I absolutely hate them. I'm Pakistani and I HATE it when someone calls me a 'paki' and what not..

And in highschool.. if you pull off even one wrong move.. (such as dating a guy who might be in grade 11/12 while your only in grade.. lets say 9?.. and then shortly after you dump him for whatever reason) people label you as a slut/hoe/bitch/whore and etc.. I HATE it! like stay the FUCK out of my personal life.. and they have NO REASON to label me at all because they hardly even know me.. :S

So I think people label one another just because they find that that's one way to rid one's anxiety.. or whatever problems that person (who's labeling others) has..

[Phiralia]

I hate when people label me..Because of labeling,we'll do that attitude again and again..

[heya =]]

i Hate all labels its wrong to judge people before you know them and bullying people with these kind of names can make them feel worthless
people who call you these things just judge you before they even know who you are or if they have never even talked to you or know your life
people somtimes used to call me names cos i am quiet like a geek and stuff just cos im quite smart a nerd when infact i wear more fashionable clothes than them they make you feel bad about your self so
i just hate bullys & Labels!!!

[Jasmine]

Honestly, i dont think ANYONE has a label, cliche etc. You may be a chick who likes to rock out on the guitar, but that doesn't mean you're a rock and roll gal because you also could be a cheerleader. We take things and make them SEEM like they make us who we are but really we're more then just some stupid name that defines us. We're a million faces, some just see one of them and thats where stereotype stuff takes over.

[Delilah]

i hate to be labelled on the one hand and then on the other it brings a sense of belonging and identity. i dont believe in every person who comes underneath a certain category being exactly the same as tthee next. i also dont think that all people copy each other
i think they aspire to be each other
anyway
kaboosh and im out