Why do we label people?

social, education and ignorance too

it makes people feel good to think they have a right to pass judgement upon another, if only they understood that before they can judge someone else they must first consider this

Mathew 7 “Stop judging that YOU may not be judged; 2 for with what judgment YOU are judging, YOU will be judged; and with the measure that YOU are measuring out, they will measure out to YOU. 3 Why, then, do you look at the straw in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the rafter in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Allow me to extract the straw from your eye’; when, look! a rafter is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First extract the rafter from your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to extract the straw from your brother’s eye.

Society has their own set of norms and most if not all those who label people have nothing better to do with their lives than to put labels on people who they deem below them. People are so shallow if they worry about how any group of people would label them.

apparently some dont have nothing else to do

agree

They are stupid

I do not know and quite frankly I don't like it

behavior is learned ...

If not for labels we would all be the same. I'm sorry but I don't mind being different. As long as the rest of the world doesn't look down on it. Being gay is a label... but that is all it is!! Society makes being gay seem wrong. If I said your pretty but society made it seem like a bad thing then you would be insulted. Just like how we turned Ase and dam into "bad words". They are just words its how we see them that can make or Bremen someone. I am a bisexual Hispanic American that's likes crazy shoes and used to cut myself. But guess what?? That's just me, and I love me. :)

It's just human nature..

Not everyone is so concerned with labels but it is a mammalian tendency.

That doesn't mean we have to give into the index card mentality, as it were. We can elect to be more observant, thoughtful, inquisitive...

Humans categorize. It is in our very languages. Heck, even animals categorize (food, not food, threat) It is just a predisposition we have to be aware of and rise above.

We label everything!

Some people really need to make everyone fit into nice little simplistic boxes so they feel they are in control and know the world around them. Giving all credence to a label is ignorant in my opinion.

Placing a label on something is an identifier. For instance , I am an Athiest. For some here on SH this is a negative identifier and for some an immediate block or a label of hatred based on others of the same label they have been exposed to. I know a woman who immediately sees someone as a good person if they are Christian. But there are good and bad people of both identifiers. Some folks use labels to group together people they hate and attack them. It's easier that way. But the world isn't that simple. That's one of the reasons why my first friend was Sister Jean. I believe she truly understands this.

agree

I think its just an ingrained human failing. We may try not to, but I don't think we can help it.

little kids don't know the difference til adults teach them there's difference

Its a bad habit! We all do it.
Sometimes its just a simple form of the way your brain catalogs things. Many don't mean it as rudeness or cruel but others are nothing but mean and cruel...depends on how you do it.

Because we're asses.

we think that they fall into categories

People are mean. It all goes back to the caveman days. UHG! He drags the "callgirl" by her hair to his cave and has his way. Lol. Joking of course but mean people suck.

I think it starts when we are growing up. We are labeled from the moment of birth, depending on the net worth of our parents and who they know. Everyone has a label. Then as we get older, we are in Jr high and high school and you have cliques and it gets worse. We are brought up and raised with labels. Just how society works.

sad

for some it is habit. Others it is easier way to deal with people. Why put in the effort to get to know someone when you can label them and move on.

People seem to be afraid of anyone who doesn't agree with them on every level. Instead of reaching out and discussing, it's safer to just call names and run away.

agree

Your right there Jan...

you are absolutely right

it makes us feel superior

Dogs and cats never label anyone. They come right up to you and accept who you are. I wish all humans could be the same way.

agree maybe that's why I like them better than people

Yeah ... and if they don't like someone, there is probably a real reason :)

people use labels to justify their way of thinking. sad but true and they are so wrong on a lot of counts.

cuz people don't come pre-labeled from the store. joking aside, labeling people helps us know how much to get involved in someone else's personal issues and problems: we tend to prefer people like ourselves and to shun people we perceive as being unlike ourselves. the reality, of course, is that there are some terrific people who are not like ourselves and we do them and ourselves a disservice by pre-judging them.

Some people have a need to put others into categories. I defy categories. Don't put me in a box. I don't even think inside the box.