Labels

When you hear the word Fundamentalist, what words, images, or thoughts come to mind? Ignorance? Someone who disbelieves science? Maybe an image of someone dressed in a very old fashioned way? Sheltered, home schooled, and socially awkward children?

What about conservative? Xenophobic? Out of touch? Or perhaps even hateful?

How about patriotic? Simple minded? Gullible? Over zealous?

Admittedly, one can come to far different associations depending on their point of view. But the fact is whenever we hear a label: be it Christian, liberal, communist or homophobe, we associate many things, good or bad, with that label. These associations allow us to bypass critical thinking and immediately pass judgment on a complex situation so long as we can fit it in one of our boxes.

This is natural, but there can be a danger to it. Many play off our natural tendency to label. They try to create certain associations so when you hear a given label you immediately associate it with negative things. For example, gay rights activists have successfully labeled anyone who opposes gay marriage, on any grounds, as hateful and homophobic. No one wants to hate so we break with the behavior of those we associate with such negative things. Effectively creating associations with a label and then attaching that label to a person is a sure fire way to destroy their cause.

And we do all this apart from the rational thought process. For a label is no more than a way for us to lazily by pass critical thinking and judgment.