Labeling is an overly generalizing, negative assessment of oneself or another person, carried out without analytical thinking and often based on a single event or action.
People most of all love to slap a label on someone else, which once and for all frees them from the need to think.
W. Somerset Maugham
For example:
More content in our app
You're only seeing a portion of the content. In the app, you'll find numerous interactive articles. Additionally, there are psychological tests to track your mood dynamics, a daily planner, an automatic thought journal, and much more!
This resembles a childish habit. Children actively use labels as they learn and explore the world, still knowing little.
They need to quickly organize a volume of new information. An adult, however, is capable of analyzing information before drawing conclusions.
We, as people, are multifaceted and complex beings. Our actions are ambiguous, our behavior depends on our mood, life period, and countless other factors.
Reducing everything to a single label is like trying to describe an entire movie in one frame. Many important details, circumstances, and nuances will be missed.
Labeling yourself is destructive and dysfunctional. Your 'self' cannot be reduced to any single, definitive label. Such a mindset leads to a habit of oversimplification and misunderstanding of oneself.
And when you label others, there is a high probability that your perception of the person will be one-sided.
As a result, this can lead to serious problems in relationships with others, as no one likes to be labeled.
So, what should we do? Look for and consider evidence that contradicts your labels.
For example, someone cuts in front of you in line, and you immediately think they are rude.
Your mood worsens.
In this situation, it's worth considering that the person might have valid reasons to hurry, and it's not right to label them immediately.
We also want to suggest a few simple exercises:
Imagine people walking around with labels on their foreheads («ugly», «loser», «dumb», etc.). When you see such a label, try to mentally tear it off.
Take an empty box and a notebook or a pack of stickers.
Each time you catch yourself labeling, write it down on a piece of paper and throw it into the box. You can also write these labels in your phone notes, then transfer them to the box at home.
Destroy the contents of the box weekly.
Try replacing negative labels with positive ones.
For example, instead of 'stupid', think 'resourceful'. This might seem odd, but give it a try.
An alternative to labeling is a holistic, multifaceted perception of oneself and others, taking into account the various qualities of a person, both their strengths and weaknesses.
Only by freeing yourself from perceiving the world and yourself through labels, can you understand how multifaceted you and the people around you are.
