Labels help us identify the world around us. They are incredibly useful for grouping ideas and things together. We even use them to group people together. That can be both a good and bad thing.
I am a gay, liberal, agnostic atheist. I am a Capricorn. I am a German/Indian Texan who is often mistaken as Mexican. I am a computer science major and a bit of a nerd. I am gamer and I am male. I could go on, but for several people, that is enough to get a pretty good idea of who I am. You may have never met me, but you know what those labels describe and thus, you get a general idea of me.
The problem is when we take these type of labels and apply generic stereotypes to them.
Few people fully encompass the ideas we have when applying labels. Mostly because we tend to extrapolate more about a person with what little information we know. We think about our lives, people we know, and how media portrays people. We then apply those broad characteristics to complete the person.
Take for example the label, gay. It can mean a broad range of personality traits depending on your culture, but all it really means is that I am sexually attracted to someone of the same gender. That is it. A simple single sentence explains that one aspect of me. I am not flamboyant. I have no sense of style. I do like Madonna and Cher, but I also like Green Day and Smash Mouth. I am not fit nor do I hit the gym 5 times a week (I am lucky to hit the gym once a year).
These broad ideas are also limited to their definition in terms of time and location. Culture makes a huge difference of what various words mean. To say the least, a gay cruise is quite a bit different now than it was when the ad below was created.
Gay Cruise
Unfortunately I don’t think the generalization of labels to apply broad personality traits will ever go away. Even I occasionally say things like “I speak Spanish like a white boy. ” And even though I know there are plenty of white boys who can speak Spanish quite fluently, the majority of people understand that I am really bad with Spanish.
We apply labels to better convey ideas with people. These words and terms can explain a broad list of traits. Unfortunately, they are truly an easy and lazy way to articulate ourselves.
They are also a great way to mis-communicate when those who listen to you have a different definition for said label. Take for example, the dreaded n word. Depending on the speaker and the recipient, it is a term of endearment. In other cases, it is a term of oppression. Other people use it as a means to make a joke. To a foreigner who doesn’t know what it means means, they may think you are simply stating a person is black. Most people avoid it at all possible. To say the least, if taken out of context, it will probably not mean what you wish to say.
Just remember, when you are applying a label to a person, try to keep in mind what it is you are trying to truly convey. If you are talking to a wide audience, it maybe best to explain yourself than try to apply some generic label to a person. I say this because, while you may want to give praise to someone, it may come off as an offense to another person. Take your time, articulate your words and descriptions. It will make you come off smarter and will help prevent backpedaling in the future.