This is not a story or any work of fiction. This is about me voicing out my opinions on a particularly sensitive topic that I have seen and experienced in real life. I am not here to tell others how to act or behave, rather I’m just trying to build and show others another perspective that they may have outlooked. I am not placing blame or accusing anyone or even calling anyone out. So please do not get the wrong idea and read this with an open and accepting mind. If you can’t do it then you have all rights to close this post right now.
How many times have you have been called names, not just from bullying but jokingly from your friends as well? How many times have you heard others place labels on you that they think is just for entertainment and completely harmless? Jokes are a completely different topic but they should never be mixed with ‘harmless insults’ because whether you believe or not insults do hurt. It doesn’t matter if they were said in a joking way, calling someone out for their weight or acne or any other insecurity repeatedly is hurtful. Ever since my teen years started, I became more aware of the intimidatingly long range of insecurities that can plague someone and what was even scarier was how difficult it was to get rid of them. Not to mention the world we are living in right now that is practically run by social media is becoming increasingly toxic in many ways that far too scary to fathom.
The insurmountable standards we have placed on ourselves are driven from the judgements that have been conceived in society itself. Where do you think labels like ‘pretty’ or ‘hot’ or ‘ugly’ have originated from? They didn’t come from another planet, they were born right here, in this world we live in by us. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, I’m not sure, but what I do know is society is becoming exceedingly toxic and setting high demands for the human race. From what I see it as, our world just doesn’t function without labels. Becoming ‘perfect’, in anything for that matter, had seemed so marvellous at first but is now contaminated with outrageous ideas of having an impossibly slim body or having a ‘golden ratio.’ It is because of these labels that society has created that the self esteem of many people, young or old, is starting to get destructed.
Yes, there are many platforms to better build your esteem or confidence but if we compare both sides, I think we all know that toxicity would win. There are too many labels, too much pressure on people just to ‘look good’ that the idea of beauty has completely changed. People are spending millions to change their face just so that that they fit into society’s ridiculously high beauty standards. However, the effects of these labels are too tremendous to ignore. Deteriorating mental health, suicide, these are just a few of numerous effects that labels have plagued us with.
We are all so pressured to be liked, to look attractive, to fit in that we have started living our life on the basis of these labels. And what about those who have to constantly listen to people mocking their insecurities, throwing labels at them like it’s no big deal? They are on the verge of hurting themselves too, if they haven’t already. Because we are constantly exposed to these harmful labels all the time, it makes us think that our world only revolves around these labels. And then the effects start to hit in. Like I said, suicide and depression are just a few of the many harmful effects labels have on people.
I am not here to tell people how they should talk to others. I am here to show them what their words are doing to others. Whether or not they choose to continue using these labels on others is completely on them because, in the end, I can’t force people to change. And for all those people whose lives have been affected by these labels, I am not going to be a hypocrite and tell you to love yourself because I have no right to. The reason is, I have many insecurities as well and until I have not learnt to love myself, I can’t tell others to do the same. Like I said, I am only here to show you what labels have done to our world, to us. Labels have become the foundation of practically every aspect of our world. The standards of ‘beautiful’ or ‘talented’ or even ‘competent’ have completely changed and reached to insurmountable heights.
Stop contaminating the idea of ‘perfect.’ Stop using harmful labels for both yourself and others because you are not going to get anything out of it. If you choose to use labels for yourself, you will start walking on the path of self-destruction. And if you use it for others, you will be creating their path of destruction. It may seem entertaining to you to joke about someone’s face or weight, but it’s not. Deep inside it does hurt them and it is only a matter of time before the hurt evolves into something more painful.
I was taught that compassion should be the fundamental of humanity. Yet what I see is compassion being replaced with selfishness and ignorance. We all live in this world together and if we don’t take care of ourselves no one will. So let us all stop contaminating our home and our lives.
There is nothing funny about mocking someone so open your eyes and look at what your actions are resulting. I believe that labels should not be the basis of our identity until unless you yourself are genuinely alright with it. And if you are completely comfortable with the labels given to you then there is no harm in that. Labels should be given and taken with intention of comfort and joy not hurt and shame.
In the end, we should ask ourselves this, are labels really the basis of humanity?
