Labels: Good or Bad?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a professional organizer I can honestly say that generally I think that labels are a good thing. I love my label maker. I take it with me to all my client appointments. I often end up labeling files, manila folders, shelves – I have even labeled the shelves in a client’s refrigerator and freezer! I also label jars in pantries, containers, shelves, and more things around my clients’ houses. Labels most definitely can be very useful.

Labels in clothes:
I remember when we were young my mother used to sew labels in my clothes and those of my brothers and sisters. I ironed labels in my children’s clothes or if I was short on time, used a sharpie to put their initials in the coats and boots they took with them to school.
Manufacturers labels in clothes are placed inside clothes to help the purchaser know how to clean them. Logo labels are placed on the outside as a means of advertising. We all know that the alligator is a Lacoste symbol, the check mark denotes Nike, and the polo pony is Ralph Lauren to name a few.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grocery Store Labels:
I don’t know about you, but I read labels in the grocery store. I want to know how much sugar, sodium and carbs are in the prepared foods I’m buying. And then there are people with specific food allergies. They read labels to avoid purchasing foods with ingredients which are harmful to their health.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Names as labels:

Centuries ago a person’s last name helped identify his profession. Mr. Miller, for instance, was the man who worked the mill. Then there was Mr. Carpenter, he was the wood worker. The blacksmith was known as Mr. Smith. I think you get the idea.
We have moved away from having our last name identify our profession. Although, some of my clients will identify me as their organizer. Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever been identified by your profession?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professional Labels:
What do you think about professional labels: Doctor, Lawyer, Gardener, Shoemaker, Dancer to name a few? I think they are helpful. I love being able to refer friends and clients to people whose services I can recommend whole heartedly.
These are labels that I think are great. However, there are some labels that I think are unnecessary.

Unnecessary Labels:
I can think of several instances where labels are not needed and can be hurtful. Name calling for instance. There’s no need to assign a characteristic or quality to a person. I’m thinking about a time when I heard someone call another person ‘lazy’.
I try very hard not to label people. I try to label the quality instead and to say something like ‘it’s great that you are being so patient today’. In place of saying ‘You’re a very patient person’ because maybe that person is not always so patient!

I’ve been thinking about this topic of labeling people for several years now. You see, I have earned the designation Hoarding Specialist from the Institute for Challenging Disorganization and as such I often work with people diagnosed with the Hoarding Disorder.
This disorder does not define the person. However, sometimes (because it is a mouthful to say ‘a person with the hoarding disorder’) people refer to those with the hoarding disorder as: hoarders.

This word: hoarders, carries a negative connotation with it. People picture scenes from the television shows Buried Alive and Hoarders and assume that this is what those with this disorder are like when that is usually not the case.
I admit that this is a soapbox on which I am standing. It is a personal pet peeve of mine to avoid labeling people, but I think I’m not alone.

I came across a couple of great quotes when I was looking for validation for the way I feel about labels and people.

“I have a fear of labels. If someone labels me, I have to respond – do I acknowledge it, reject it, deny it, live up to it and defy it? Labels can affect your ability to be yourself. If you’re not careful, like I wasn’t when I was young, that can take a toll on you. You find yourself conforming to everyone else’s ideas of who you are.” B.D. Wong

“Labels are for filing. Labels are for clothing. Labels are not for people.” Martina Navratilova

I am a woman, a mom, an organizer, a teacher, a gardener, a dancer, an animal lover, a needlepointer, a reader, a thinker, a friend. I don’t want anyone of these things to define me.

Who are you? Do you want a singular label to identify you?
I hope this blog causes you to think about labels and how you apply them.
Please share your thoughts with me.