As humans, we love to name things, give them labels and sort them into neat boxes. But when we label ourselves or let society label us, do we gain an identity or lose a unique part of ourselves. Some labels help us feel like part of a group while other labels ostracize us. The same label can have a very different effect on different people with some seeing it as a point of pride and others feeling judged by it. Labels usually can’t capture the complexity of human experience and existence and often create stereotypes that can confine us to roles or groups that fail to accurately define us or condemn us to oppression.

So, when is a label worthwhile and when is a label detrimental? Are conforming labels (labels that are socially acceptable) better than non-traditional labels? Are self-proclaimed labels, those we use to understand ourselves, valuable while those others place on us problematic? If we choose a label, does that make it good? Often, we use labels to gain a sense of belonging, to show we are part of a group or community, or to express our personality. At other times, different aspects of society label us based on criteria that may be true but also may not be indicative of our identity. But what if these labels are inaccurate?

For example, a medical practitioner may diagnosis and label a person with a specific disease or disorder. Does this diagnosis, this label, now condemn the person to a life with this disease? Or is a second opinion needed? Does the diagnosis make the person have agency and the ability to gain access to medical resources? Or does it just reinforce a stereotype or lead to discrimination and stigmatization? Can you reject the label and at what cost to your health? Or is this just denial? A diagnosis, a medical label, can profoundly impact a person’s life. And yet, the medical community is known to have biases that are harmful to patients and high rates of misdiagnoses (approximately 11% of people are misdiagnosed). Can you trust these labels?

Alternatively, is it better to have a label or just know you are on a spectrum with everyone fitting somewhere between the extremes? If we use a spectrum instead, what constitutes the center or “normal” condition? Do we want to be “normal”? If so, why? The notion of normal came from mathematics with an original meaning of “made according to a carpenter’s square or forming a right angle”. It was only later given a new meaning of “according to rule” and then adopted to be a “judgement of what is right”. But who determines this “rule” and what makes it “right”? Sadly, it is usually the dominant culture that determines what is normal and anyone outside of the norm is seen as “other” which can result in social exclusion or marginalization. Additionally, these labels, if believed, can become a self-fulfilling prophecy where individuals internalize the negative label (whether self-labeled or externally labeled), limit the way they see themselves and their abilities, and eventually become the label. For example, if a child is repeatedly told they are lazy and stupid, they may internalize these labels, no longer think trying will result in anything positive, and eventually become the labels. Unfortunately, many individuals develop learned helplessness or similar self-destructive beliefs because of the labels placed on them.

Or do labels have a function? Can they help us find our real identities? How do I describe myself without labels and the roles society has assigned me? Who am I without my labels? If I tell people I am an introvert, does it help them understand me? Or do they have a different understanding of introversion and now think of me as shy or anti-social? If I let people know about my social anxiety, does it become a tool to excuse me from going to social functions? Is this helpful or isolating? Because we all have a multitude of identities that can easily become labels and can be confounded by intersectionality, does providing someone with a label really help them know me? Additionally, our identities can change over time. So, when is a label no longer applicable? And how easy is it to let people know you no longer feel a label is accurate?

Do our identities still exist if the labels are removed from society? If you moved to a new culture, would the labels you currently hold still be helpful or would they become problematic? Could you explain a label to someone outside your culture and still have it hold the “right” meaning? Research indicates that social labels (labels another person gives to us) can be used to influence how people feel about their skill and behaviors. So when should we listen to the label society gives us and when should we ignore them?

If you striped away all the labels, what is left? Who are you? How do we exist without labels? Can we find peace in ourselves without the labels? Embracing our identities is an important aspect of self-growth, but it can be a struggle especially when acknowledging not only your strengths but your weaknesses and looking at your passions but also seeing your fears. Not only does this require honesty and self-compassion, but also a strong dose of humility. You must determine what identities are valid, which are aligned to your underlying values and beliefs, and then express these identities to the world in ways that foster understanding and acceptance. This is difficult and challenging work, but the act of defining, aligning, and living your identities is an act of self-empowerment that allows us to become uniquely our own person, to contribute in authentic ways, and to build communities that are diverse and resilient.