Endivius
Posts: 1238
Joined: 8/22/2011
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A label is generally used to isolate a description of a person in order to create an association of said individual. If you know someone of any particular color, and tried to describe that person in detail without mentioning thier race, it is much more difficult to reach the association another person may have created. It is not always proper, and is often a basis for fueling racisim, sexism, and other forms of bigotry; at times it can be usefull though. However, I do my best to avoid negatively labeling anyone individual unless I'm pissed off and verbally ripping them a new one.
People use BDSM as a label to associate people who practice a sexual lifestyle outside of normal society, wich is commonly refered to as "vanilla"; another label. This does not make either labels bigotous in nature, only the context of the discussion in wich the label is used can do that.
Labeling people and thier activities is quite ordinary, and required in order to create an association with anything. If you know someone who is; for example, highly active in rock climbing, you might call them a climber. This is a label. Just as it is a label to say a person is kinky or hyper. It isn't the labels that are offensive, rather the context in wich they are used.
There are some labels however; that are offensive in nature, because of the harsh undertones in wich they convey a certain association that is not politcally correct, or extremely negative. An example would be the N word to describe any black individual. It is negative in association because of the history of racism, horror, and suffering that many blacks over the course of three hundred years experienced at the hands of other races.
I do not change my labels based on what other people think or do. I have my own beliefs for what is and is not acceptable when describing people and thier activities. As it says in my profile, I live by The Golden Rule. If you are courteous and can speak with a calm and direct tone, people are far more likely to recieve what you say objectively than subjectively. And if they cannot accept what I have to say, I probably have no interest in what they have to say back. I have no problems with an exchange of ideas, and often I participate in such discussions. I do have a problem with people believing that I should conform to thier beliefs. It won't happen, and I am not generally patient when someone attempts to do so. Follow your moral compass and you should be fine.
The only label I have ever hung on to is being a Marine. It is not so much that I take some kind of brainwashed mentality from the years in the service, as a truth I have discovered over the last few years being out of the service. You never stop being a Marine. It's sort of a cliche, but having been on both sides of the line, I understand now what that means and the why of it. It doesn't bother me in the least, although there are times when I struggle with civilians, especially when I see them doing some boneheaded stuff that I could make them stop doing if they were in a uniform.
We constantly grow as humans, changing ideas and beliefs, and because of that, I think the labels we used to identify ourselves and others also change. Not all of them, certainly some though.
Edit to address the questions you added.
< Message edited by Endivius -- 9/13/2011 7:52:23 PM >
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Basically if you can't inspire someone to trust you deeply, you aren't going to be able to buy that or a reasonable facsimile thereof. -DesFIP
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