A life with/without labels.

[Beekissed]

I've been doing some thinking...and we all know how dangerous that can be.

I've perused forums a lot in the past few years and have concluded that people are very fond of labels or categorizing themselves or their lifestyles into areas of philosophy like permaculture, preppers, SSers, Agragarian, vegan, etc. I'm wondering how you all feel about identifying with or adopting such labels and trying to live your life according to those ideals and if you are comfortable being identified~or labeled~ in such a manner?

Are you more comfortable with labels because they give you boundaries under which to grow, operate or formulate your style without having to stand out from the accepted group ideals in that particular philosophy?

Or are you uncomfortable with adhering to all the ideals that identify that particular group and wish only to adopt some of their belief/practices because they make sense but the other portions of the total philosophy don't suit your own ideals/goals/beliefs?

Just curious with how you see yourself as an individual and as a member of a group/belief system/forum/community?

 

[Joel_BC]

I've perused forums a lot in the past few years and have concluded that people are very fond of labels or categorizing themselves or their lifestyles into areas of philosophy like permaculture, preppers, SSers, Agragarian, vegan, etc. I'm wondering how you all feel about identifying with or adopting such labels and trying to live your life according to those ideals and if you are comfortable being identified~or labeled~ in such a manner?

Are you more comfortable with labels because they give you boundaries under which to grow, operate or formulate your style without having to stand out from the accepted group ideals in that particular philosophy?

Or are you uncomfortable with adhering to all the ideals that identify that particular group and wish only to adopt some of their belief/practices because they make sense but the other portions of the total philosophy don't suit your own ideals/goals/beliefs?

I'll give an example... I've got a good friend who teaches permaculture and lives on 10 acres designed around its principles. Lots of food-bearing trees and shrubs, planned-out plant communities (companion planting, intercropping), plantings of willow and bamboo as materials for making and building things, a de-emphasis but still a presence of annual veggies, and a very wide diversity of plant species. Our place is not organized that way - but my friend knows I've incorporated certain ideas I've learned from him on our place. He doesn't judge me, and I don't judge him.

Labels are okay, but I don't like the hard-sticking ones.

You can learn useful things from many different sources. You can appreciate may different sorts of people. But I say decide your own objectives and make those your ideals.

 

[animalfarm]

The only label I like is eccentric or down right weird. That means I can live down to pretty much anyone's expectations; even my own. I don't like categories. As you pointed out, they tend to be a huge limiting factor if allowed, and we all have a tendency to use them to make excuses for passing judgement on others. See I just did that.

 

[moolie]

My 14-yo likes to say, "normal is only a setting on the washing machine".

I don't particularly care for labels, because often they don't help bring us together.

I hang out here on SS (lots!) but don't actually believe in total self sufficiency because I believe that community trumps self, and that people merely need to take far more personal responsibility on all levels than they do at present. None of us is an island, and it seems that in today's society people want others to do FOR them, exactly what they want, and when things don't go right they then have the right to blame those others on whom they've depended (I have a lot of family members like this). So the SS label fits a lot of what I do with my time, but not all--because I believe that along with taking this personal responsibility that I should live in community, work alongside others to attain my goals and those of the group. Hope that makes sense

I think in a case like Joel's example where someone has a particular skill, labeling that person as having that skill, "an expert in permaculture" is great--but it's not his "identity" in the grand scheme of things. He's likely also a husband/father/perhaps grandfather, does a particular job, enjoys particular types of recreation (a fisherman etc.) and pigeon-holing him as one type of expert takes away from the rest of his life and accomplishments. Maybe kinda minor in the grand scheme of the universe, but it may cause a lot of stress on the individual to be "that expert", to the detriment of other areas in his life. Not saying that is the case for Joel's friend, just speaking of what might occur when one is labeled.

And then there are truly dangerous labels that tear us apart, labels related to our ethnic background, language group, religious beliefs/lack thereof, politics, physical abilities/disabilities, and our national identity. If these are used by hateful people, they cause true damage to that identity and a desire to not want to be lumped in with others who share the same label.

 

[Beekissed]

The only label I like is eccentric or down right weird. That means I can live down to pretty much anyone's expectations; even my own. I don't like categories. As you pointed out, they tend to be a huge limiting factor if allowed, and we all have a tendency to use them to make excuses for passing judgement on others. See I just did that.

I agree!

Labels are okay, but I don't like the hard-sticking ones.

Same here...to a degree. Labels are fine when they define a thing like Agragarianism, so that one can know exactly what that particular thing is or is supposed to be, but who in the world would want to be defined? It is fine to define a thing or belief, as they are inanimate and are usually contained within the borders of that defined existence.

But...I find myself resisting being labeled and have done so all my life. I detest pigeon-holing by others and I try not to apply the same practice to others, though I must admit it becomes hard at times to not label folks at times~especially when their lives or their personalities lend themselves to that particular labeling so very well. When a busy body spends most of her time with her nose in others' business, it is hard not to label her a busy-body. You get the drift?

On the surface, I think many of us here would automatically and emphatically state we shall not be labeled...but do we enjoy some labels more than others? Would we resist being labeled, for instance, as a hero, philanthropist, genius?

 

[Wannabefree]

I scrub my labels off with steel wool and hot soapy water. I hate labels.

And why is it spelled l-a-b-e-l instead of l-a-b-l-e?! l-e just makes more sense to me.

See, Bee, I'm a thinker too Dangerous doesn't even begin to describe it

Seriously though, I have NEVER cared what other people think. So long as I am comfortable with being right with myself and God, I don't care if other folks like it or not as long as I am not infringing on their rights or space. If they care THAT much about what I am doing, when do they have time to get their own things in order?! Well, that's my philosophy anyway. Call me what ya want, I'm still just me I'm comfortable with being labelled many things, but I don't really label myself many things. I fit a lot of labels, and not a single one completely defines me, other than Christian. That one, I likey

 

[Beekissed]

WBF, that one, too, I have found to be somewhat of a difficult label to wear, particularly nowadays. I'm a Christian, as defined by being a follower of Jesus Christ, but the term has become to mean so many other things now that I don't wish to be associated with, not to mention the sub-groups/divisions such as denominations, sects, cults, etc. They all fall under the big label of Christianity but do they fulfill the full meaning of the title?

But...I digress and don't wish this thread to die under controversy(another irony in itself, that being a follower of Christ is so very controversial with the very people who profess to be one).

Labels are important because they tell the ingredients of a thing or substance. Labels on humans? I don't know that any one label can contain the elements of any particular human but I find many people content to be labeled as one thing or another and I often wonder if it is for safety? Lack of imagination? True conviction and adherence to the meaning of the label? Lack of motivation to stand out from under the label? Increased motivation to support and further the label?

Like declaring oneself a Democrat or Republican...very serious stuff to some folks, particularly in smaller communities.

What is your take on political, religious, cultural labels? Why do people cling to some of these, despite their inability to truly define the contents of the organization/constitution/group? Because it is too difficult to be part of something but not all of something? Too difficult to differentiate between an ideal and a reality?

I'm not sure if I'm making sense here but I'm pondering out loud....

 

[usedteabag]

A life without labels... sounds like post-modern thinking if I ever heard it.

In all theory, I absolutely love the idea of life without labels. I think that at their worst, labels are limiting and also open the door for discrimination. If you think I'm a hippie, you might have certain ideas about what I do in my spare time, my political leanings, or what I like to eat. Same goes with if you think I'm a yuppie, or any other "label."

At the same time, labels are helpful. I think of them as shortcuts. When I started getting into designing my own spaces in my house or apartment, for example, it was very helpful to be able to describe styles to others so they knew what I meant when I was trying to describe what I wanted. When I'm speaking with people about music, I love being able to throw out genres that are a bit more specific so I can find other like-minded people. If I describe myself as a liberal, it's easier than explaining every single political leaning I have, even if not everything I believe in is generally classed as "liberal." In situations like this, I am grateful for labels.

I think it's not a question of whether or not labels are necessary, but a question of, are we willing to take each label with a grain of salt? If we don't, we set ourselves up for disappointment. I'll tell you that I'm an agnostic-hippie-self-sufficient-traditional-but-left-leaning-socialist-musician, there are many assumptions you could take away from that list. But then... you'd be missing out on the rest of me. Same goes with everyone else!

So I guess I do label people but I try to make sure that they are of the post-it note variety: easy to take off and move around.

 

[Beekissed]

I like that...post-it labels.

In my life I've found that people are more comfortable around you if they can label you. I think it makes it easier for them to keep things straight in their head. I've also found they don't seem to like it if you don't fit any label they've ever known and this makes them uncomfortable and you become someone of suspicion or to be feared.

One of my life long friends told me this one day: "Just when I think I know who you are, you do something that makes me believe that I will never, as long as I live, know who you really are." She wasn't being complimentary but just expressing her extreme puzzlement over her inability to safely label me.

Have you all ever felt like a lot of folks avoid those they cannot safely label?

 

[snapshot]

Not sure how to word this. As long as we know that whatever labels we put on someone has nothing to do with that person--only us. DH and I have been labeled by lots of different folks for different reasons but that has nothing at all to do with us--it is just what they think (of us).