How To Fight Society’s Pressure To Label Yourself

Every facet of our society is systematically categorized. The labels that we place on ourselves and each other form the very basis of our world. It divides us and causes a dearth of diversity and understanding. It ingrains implicit biases and sows prejudice into the roots of our world, hurting marginalized groups and hindering long-term solutions to injustice. 

Another downside of society’s labels is the pressure that it puts on individuals to assign designations to themselves. Especially to youth who are only beginning to figure out their identities, the pressure to find a label can seem overwhelmingly stifling. The fact that society often neglects to recognize intersections between different facets of one’s identity only exacerbates this. People attempting to identify themselves can feel split between two different groups or labels; often, finding any label at all can be a long and intense process.

As a queer person of color, I spent three years attempting to find a label that “fit” me. When I first began to question my sexuality, I was resigned to a school of thought that one could exclusively be straight, bisexual, or gay. For a year, because I was not aware of any other identities, I relegated myself to a label that I felt did not accurately represent me.

Eventually, I stumbled upon an Instagram post that opened my eyes to another possibility: simply remaining unlabeled. I realized that using blanket terms was a way to avoid labeling myself further than I wanted to. I began to use the term “queer” to refer to myself, thereby retaining the ambiguity that I wanted. In recent months, after experiencing a similar struggle with gender identity, I turned to the same solution. 

While some find labels stifling and unnecessary, others find that they provide a sense of community. For those who can find a label that they can identify with, it can become a source of solace, identity, and belonging. 

Others who either choose not to label themselves or are unable to find a label that “fits” often feel inadequate or incomplete. This is due to the pressure that society places on individuals- especially the pressure fabricated by those with privilege. By ensuring that every member of society feels the need to fit inside a box, those with privilege maintain their position at the top of the social hierarchy; the structure of the world remains rigid and those holding power will not lose their position.

All in all, the pressure to place labels on oneself is stifling, and it is a tool used to retain positions of power. For people who do find labels that they feel click, it can be an integral part of their identity. However, those who do not or who choose to remain unlabeled should not be made to feel less than their counterparts. In order to progress as a society, we must unite in our differences.