We live in a world so greatly polluted by the misuse of labels that it has become a painfully rare occurrence to stumble upon someone who simply identifies as a man or a woman. The saddest realization I’ve come to have is that not only do people place labels on others unfairly, but people among the disability community also sometimes unhealthily label themselves. Society passively encourages its inhabitants to believe and trust that all they are or have the potential to be is determined by which disability or health condition they might possess. We as people have been deceived by the notion that acceptance means carrying the label; what happened to living as just a human being? I detest labels and I would like to delve into three of the main reasons why I believe no one should use any label for any reason. I’ve seen this madness play out daily on my social media feeds, in the news, and everywhere else. People are being labeled for anything in the world and I want the nonsense to stop. There’s no sense in clutching onto a most negative and deceitful lens; hashtags don’t define a person. A human is a soul, much more than what meets the eye.
1) Labels Encourage Intense Self Focus- The goal of this life is to do what we can to make the world a brighter place until our time is done. Any kind of label that we identify with has the potential to push us into an unhealthy level of self focus. I know this as much as anyone does. We become so focused on ourselves, we forget what living is like. We come to exist. Self loathing overtakes us. Becoming a writer who wrote solely on disability was never my intention. The “teenage letter” I wrote was to promote inspiration and encouragement in the world. Alas, I fell into the self focus trap as well and lost sight of every smile I once lived to wear, I became the opposite of the inspiration behind that letter. Too much self focus can be self destructive; nothing gets accomplished other than the prevention of the progression of life’s journey. Don’t we all wish to overcome and move forward? How can we if we are so focused on our temporary conditions?
2) Encourages Codependency and Non Complacency– Recently, I have begun seeing a therapist for anxiety and depression issues that have resurfaced. She mentioned codependency, a term I had never been familiar with, and had said that being codependent was due to loss of my own self worth; non complacency, a sense of not being comfortable with myself. As someone who has had confidence in the past, how did I get to this point once again? My therapist said I lack the ability to speak up for myself or anything that I don’t feel is right, which is true. I never have been one to speak my mind. I was always too afraid of not being liked. In my later years, that is going to change. I’m allowed to have an opinion and voice it. I feel that labels can hurt us, even if you passively accept them and use them, because they don’t really help us see past our limitations. We end up stuck in the spot of desiring acceptance while not even accepting ourselves. I will probably never write another disability piece. I just don’t want the label anymore. There’s so much confidence in sharing how you feel and not caring what others think. I will no longer choose to live out my label. I’ve lived it for 20 years. Enough is enough.
3) Defeats the Goal of Inclusion– At times, I feel like being accepted in the disability community still sets us apart from the rest of the world. The goal of advocacy for me is not to be in a group but to stand alone as an individual; to be a contributing member of society, and to make friends along the trail of my journey. Sure, it’s great to have something in common with someone but do we have to focus on what makes us different? Do we have to continue this vicious cycle? Can’t we all just live and function as the beautiful individual humans that we are?
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