Have you ever feared a label, at any point in your life? That is, have you ever identified as something that you at some point thought some groups of people would resent for whatever reason and which is why you subsequently decided to more often than not withhold that information, just for the sake of your public image?

For example, have you ever been ashamed about being an atheist and so modified your behaviour in a certain way just to avoid the subject?

Any discussion revolving even tangentially around the subject matter alluded at here is welcome, of course. Let not my inability to write OPs stop you.

Labels ?

like homo, doper, alcoholic, diseased pariah ?

(July 1, 2016 at 3:51 pm)Excited Penguin Wrote: Have you ever feared a label, at any point in your life? That is, have you ever identified as something that you at some point thought some groups of people would resent for whatever reason and which is why you subsequently decided to more often than not withhold that information, just for the sake of your public image?

For example, have you ever been ashamed about being an atheist and so modified your behaviour in a certain way just to avoid the subject?

Any discussion revolving even tangentially around the subject matter alluded at here is welcome, of course. Let not my inability to write OPs stop you.

I'm pretty secure with myself enough that I don't need to hide who I am. Damn near everyone at my school knows I'm an atheist so when god is mentioned or someone says I need god, I usually tell them that god is imaginary and that if I truly needed him, he would have come down and taken up my offer for lunch already. That generally shuts them up.

I don't sugarcoat things IRL. I have no need to. People are either going to like me or they are not. I don't really care. If they aren't paying my bills, they can keep their opinions about me to themselves.

If I say I don't wear a label, someone else will say it's because I fear judgment associated with said label. 

An example would be not calling oneself an atheist because one fears said negative associations with such a label.

It's the [fear] of associating oneself with a label where others might say... "Oh, you're one of those people". 

But you see, this cannot be escaped by me, because I have said I am one who chooses (for himself) not to wear a label, and in so doing, I have been thus labeled... "Oh, you're one of those". 

So no, I don't fear labels, I just don't have much use for them personally, though others have a need for me to wear one.

I've never been ashamed as far as I can remember. I don't generally offer any more information than is necessary for a particular situation though, unless I'm asked. It's different on here when we have a wide audience and I'm not cornering some poor guy on the street.

I wouldn't avoid any subject particularly, unless I feel I'm dealing with someone unable to have a sensible discussion about it.

(July 1, 2016 at 4:01 pm)Spirian Wrote: If I say I don't wear a label, someone else will say it's because I fear judgment associated with said label. 

An example would be not calling oneself an atheist because one fears said negative associations with such a label.

It's the [fear] of associating oneself with a label where others might say... "Oh, you're one of those people". 

But you see, this cannot be escaped by me, because I have said I am one who chooses (for himself) not to wear a label, and in so doing, I have been thus labeled... "Oh, you're one of those". 

So no, I don't fear labels, I just don't have much use for them personally, though others have a need for me to wear one.

Except for the fact that we use labels for everything, that is how language works, and without them you wouldn't be able to speak, comprehend and think about things.

So again, what is it with this phobia about labels? What purpose does it serve?

(July 1, 2016 at 4:13 pm)Excited Penguin Wrote: So again, what is it with this phobia about labels? What purpose does it serve?

By what credentials have you determined I have a phobia? 

You claim to be interested in debate, and then you bandy about terms like fear, and phobia. 

Do you really think your presumptive and judgmental speech is conducive to a worthwhile communication?

Spirian challenging EP....

Gawd that's hawt!

I sincerely hope you'll stick around.

(July 1, 2016 at 4:17 pm)Spirian Wrote:

(July 1, 2016 at 4:13 pm)Excited Penguin Wrote: So again, what is it with this phobia about labels? What purpose does it serve?

By what credentials have you determined I have a phobia? 

You claim to be interested in debate, and then you bandy about terms like fear, and phobia. 

Do you really think your presumptive and judgmental speech is conducive to a worthwhile communication?

Do you think you have a phobia? I wouldn't presume, though I do think you may have something worthwhile to say about it.

And yes, I definitely think there is an irrational fear of labels out there. There's no other way I can describe it, given what I see.

(July 1, 2016 at 4:20 pm)Nymphadora Wrote: Spirian challenging EP....

Gawd that's hawt!

I sincerely hope you'll stick around.

What is so interesting about it?

Also, technically speaking, I'm the one that challenged him, initially, though I do not understand the source of this peculiar enthusiasm.