Categories and Labels

Yes. It is still Wednesday night, or Thursday morning.

And I've decided to grant your wishes of another post.
Because of course, that is what my many, many readers are wishing.
And that's not a typo. I did mean to type 'many' twice.
Simply to emphasize my thoughts on the numbers of readers I have.

Numerous.
Obviously.

Hm. I should include a metaphorical bowl to catch all that sarcasm.
It was absolutely soaked and dripping with it.

Anyways.

Onto today's topic.


The much overused topic of Categories and Labels.


When I think of "categories", I conjure up an image of what my mindscape may sometimes look like.

A mini-Jen is desperately trying to order the things in her life into these cardboard boxes that are unstably balanced on top of each other.

Oddly enough, this room is a storage room absolutely jam-packed with boxes and other random objects.
I've come across a gumball and a computer mouse and carelessly tossed those into one of the already too-full boxes.

Though I do wonder why my mindscape is of a storage room, and why it's not a meadow of giant sunflowers and purple tulips just like the movies.

Nevertheless, back onto the topic.

I'm sure we all do this. Categorize that is.

For example, we categorize all aspects of our life:
Social life. Work life. Study life. Secret-undercover-agent life.
The usual of course.
We even categorize people. Family, friends.
And not necessarily by those categories.
May even be: People I like. People I love. People who I wouldn't mind never seeing again.

However, this adamant nature of ours, of categorizing things, has this lead to the categorization and generalization of certain groups of people.

And then from this generalization, has this lead to the formation of stereotypes.
That is something to ponder.
Something to ponder on, regardless of the weather.
Sunny or rainy.

Linking this to my priority post, categorizing does not have to involve numbering these categories in order of importance.
Categorizing involves placing these boxes side by side.
And then possibly prioritizing them, though not necessarily.

I think, categories helps in ordering our thoughts.
Giving us some semblance of structure or neatness.


Often, the next step in categorizing is labelling.


Another topic all together.
And more positives and negatives.
Depending on the perspective.

Labelling may involve labelling the cardboard boxes for easier identification.
Or labelling may involve labelling aspects of our life.
In particular people and relationships.

This does lead to some trouble.
Especially since, how difficult is it, to place a label, something that may be less than a twitter post (140 characters), on a human being.
Someone with, not to sound overly sentimental, but someone with so many dimensions and layers.
It probably doesn't feel that great when a simple label, can sum up your entire personality.
Especially if you don't like or agree with the label.

Labelling relationships.
Define "us".
Ah, the need for members of a relationship to define themselves.
It may not even be a romantic relationship.
Yes. We are friends. No, acquaintances?
Is it really necessary?
To have a definition?
We are, what we are.
(How cliche. Obviously, we're not what we're not.)

Leave it be and get on with trying to fix world hunger.
I'm onto that other issue.
The sarcasm-problem.



Signing off, GenerallyJen.



Jennifun fact:
On Scribblenauts, I had God and the Devil battle it out.
God won.
Again I state: If only life was that simple.
That Good always triumphed over Bad.