Labels People Put On You

A label is a way to identify something or someone. It could be a word or phrase that describes or names something or someone in a negative or positive way.

We find labels on groceries, clothes, appliances, cars, and other items that show information about those things. Labels show important information about the items they are attached to.

Labels come with warnings to help people decide whether to purchase a product. Because some ingredients may be unsafe for people with certain underlying medical conditions, consumers may reject the product.

Labels come with valuable instructions for use. Labels on medicine bottles give us instructions about how to use the product. Printed on the label is the dosage amount along with the time the medicine should be taken.

Milk, bread, and many other foods and drinks come with expiration dates on their labels.

We were not born with a label attached to us. However, that doesn't mean that people won't give us one.

Label Placed on Me

I have lived for eight decades. During those years, many labels have been placed on me by family members, friends, co-workers, enemies, and by people who don't even know me. Some labels have been positive, and some have been negative. Labels have been given because some people have formed their own opinion about me without knowing me at all. Sometimes labels are placed on people based on what they have heard others say about them. Many times, I have been labeled based on wrong assumptions and unfair opinions.

1. “Thin-Skinned”

People are called thin-skinned when they are sensitive to criticism and insults. Often, the term “thin-skinned” is used negatively. Thin-skinned people are those who do not like unfair criticism, rejection, failure, and disappointment.

I have been called “thin-skinned” because I don't go along with people who are critical and complain a lot. I don't subject myself to being in the company of negative people. Furthermore, I live by my own core values that don't include being criticized for my lifestyle.

2.“Sensitive”

A sensitive person is someone who experiences heightened emotional responses, perceives, and processes sensory information more intensely than others. Sensitive individuals may require time alone to recharge after social interactions.

3. “Odd”

People are labeled “odd” when they do not fit in with the maddening crowd. They walk to the beat of a different drummer. They are called “odd” because they do not do what others are doing. Furthermore, they don't jump on every bandwagon just because others are doing it.

4. “Eccentric”

Someone who is eccentric is a person with unconventional and slightly strange views or behavior. Some people are called eccentric because of their artistic talents. That eccentric group includes artists, musicians, writers, and especially poets. I am in good company because some of my role models are writers. Instead of people recognizing our creativity, we are labeled “eccentric.”

Eccentric people should be celebrated instead of rejected because we offer a lot to society. Many of the positive characteristics of an eccentric person include the following:

• intelligent
• creative
• nonconforming
• curious enough to search for answers
• strives to make the world a better place
• goes out of the way to make people happier
• never bored because of their many hobbies
• aware of their eccentricity
• doesn't rely on others for their happiness
• desires are not in sync with many others

5. “Hardcore”

Being hardcore means being highly committed to beliefs and causes. When a person is hardcore, he is unwilling to change his lifestyle based on what others think about him. It is the same as being “set in one's ways.”

When a person is hardcore, he bases his entire life on his knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and discernment.

6. “Weird”

Weird is a word people use when they do not understand something or someone. Therefore, a person who has extraordinary characteristics is called “weird.” That's because some people would rather place a negative label on someone they don't understand than admit they are the ones who fit that description.

Question: Have you ever been labeled positively or negatively?