Without Labels

[exchemist]

What is that sticker meant to convey?

There is a fish sticker, used mainly by fundies to advertise their Christianity (early Christians used a symbol of the fish). Many of these fundies are creationists of course.

So the fish with legs sticker was invented to gently take the **** and to indicate support for science:

.

 

[JustGeorge]

I like to think of it as a transcendental state of being. But I'm told not to say that by my therapist.

Sounds like your therapist is just jealous.

Perhaps you oughta transcend during your next appointment so they can really get a good idea of what you're talking about.

 

[Secret Chief]

Sounds like your therapist is just jealous.

Perhaps you oughta transcend during your next appointment so they can really get a good idea of what you're talking about.

I may just do that. That'll show her.
Anyway, back on topic.... labels are essential to check if something is vegetarian/vegan.

 

[Quintessence]

How well can you describe yourself without labels?

How many pages do I get? An entire essay or even a single sentence isn't a label, so anything written in more narrative form would do. And I'm a strong writer so it could be pretty darned thorough. But no prose captures all of what something is, myself or otherwise.

How does the idea of not using labels make you feel?

Indifferent. I stopped caring much about those things with age. That said, using words is more or less necessary in some capacity for all human animals. But it isn't the word that matters, it is what it is pointing to.

What do you feel is a label, or isn't?

Any symbol that is applied to something as a way of referencing that something for communication. Put another way, it is an appellation, a sign post, a map, an interpretation. All words are symbols. The symbols is not the thing itself. Maps are not territories and all that. It's a shorthand to use for communication. Modern alphabetic and literary society has... probably gotten carried away with these symbols. To the point it forgets the territory these symbols reference. It makes word-things into their own beasts with powers and minds of their own. But I'm starting to digress into occult and metaphysical lore...

 

[sun rise]

How well can you describe yourself without labels?

If label is an adjective, then it's very very hard. If a label is a stereotype, then I don't have much of a problem

How does the idea of not using labels make you feel?

Confused because I'm uncertain what you mean.

What do you feel is a label, or isn't?

My answer to the first question is the answer here. I don't know what you have in mind, but stereotypes are labels. Let's take "nerd". When I was young, I was a pretty stereotypical nerd. I had a pocket protector to hold my pens and wore a sliderule at my waist (some don't understand these archaic references of course). Now I'm a bald, 78-year old, somewhat overweight nerd in the sense that I still love technology and science.

So if I say "I'm a nerd" and you ask me what that means to me, it's not a label. If I say I'm a nerd and that conjures up this image, then it's a label.

 

[Wandering Monk]

Labels can be useful to give a person information about you quickly. They come in handy when talking to a person you don't know well, or need to clarify something about yourself with not a lot of words.

However, at times I feel they can be restrictive. It might not give the full idea of my position on something, or might make a person think I'm for something I'm not(just examples). But often they are convenient and are used anyways.

How well can you describe yourself without labels?

How does the idea of not using labels make you feel?

What do you feel is a label, or isn't?

Removing labels won't stop people from pigeon-holing others.

 

[Quintessence]

Removing labels won't stop people from pigeon-holing others.

Are you sure? How do you pigeon-hole something without "pigeon-hole" exactly?

Word-thing-symbol-labels control and command how humans understand reality more than it is often considered. But that depth of philosophy is probably outside of the thread scope...

 

[JustGeorge]

Removing labels won't stop people from pigeon-holing others.

No, but this is more about pigeon-holing oneself. (Or not doing so.)