Labels

An assignment I was given in English class today, and may have gone a bit overboard with.

Being labeled is a disheartening experience. People will find one specific and uncommon thing about you and make it seem as if it is you, it is what defines you and your personality. Society is already allowed to label people, but it is not a preferred or encouraged method of trying to understand people. Most people use labels almost subconsciously, which I believe is the cause of our constant craving to understand everything around us, even when it is unwanted. I have been labeled many times in my life, always seemingly over something that does not define me or my personality, but is just a small factor of my complicated mind. Some things I am labeled as I do take pride in, as I realize it sets me apart from others and makes me who I am, however, this is also the reason I do not want to be reminded of it endlessly. It is uncomfortable for people to prod you with parts of yourself you may not have come to terms with yet, and tell you that it is the only thing that shapes your person. Seeing other people being labeled is hurtful, you can see the emotions on their face change immediately when they are having a good time, and, out of the blue, reminded of this factor that is forced onto them. I find the simple idea of labeling people as a law repulsive. They are only looking for something to spit on you for, to bring you down with. It scares me to believe that some people think that it is acceptable to force others into an unwanted stereotype, pushed into a hole that they may never get out of, for their peers do not truly understand who they are, and never really tried to. The simple fact is, humans are selfish. We want everything, especially in terms of knowledge, but we are so naive we do not know that this is impossible, so we label things and give them stereotypes to try to understand everything and everyone. Anne Frank was just a child, dealing with a type of labeling I could never imagine, being targeted and killed, because one man decided that you were the absolute scum of the Earth, and that you were the one destroying society. As bad as labeling is now,  it was even worse then, and Anne is an extremely brave, optimistic and self-aware young girl.

Author's Note

Please let me know of anything you enjoyed or you think I could change, thank you!
P.S. This was really just a 10 minute English assignment that I got really carried away with in class, so don't expect it to be perfect.

Reviews

[April Blue]

This was really well written. I feel like you really spoke the truth in this piece.. Very well done.. i know that there are times that I have been put labels on and some of them no so nice so I know how that can fee.. Thank you for sharing..

[emmajoy]

Jen, many thanks for your invitation ... will read this later and try to review as i think you'd prefer. Meantime, stay optimistic, please very much.