Lost in Labels: The Endless Cycle of Classification

Dear readers,

Lately, I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by how often people are divided into groups, classes, and labels. It seems like no matter where we look, there’s always a new box to put someone in. Even when you think you’re part of a unified group, like a political party or a religion, you realize that there are still divisions within. Whether it’s race, religion, or politics, it feels like we’re constantly sorting ourselves into categories: the haves and the have-nots, Republicans versus Democrats, or even deeper divisions within those categories.

It’s exhausting.

It seems like if you’re a Democrat, then you must be a minority. If you’re from Texas, they assume you’re a certain way. If you’re Black, White, Hispanic — the assumptions just pile on. If you’re from the South, people assume you’re conservative, maybe even backward in your thinking. If you’re from California, you’re automatically labeled as liberal or anti-religion. If you’re a stay-at-home mom, people might assume you don’t have ambition, and if you’re a working mom, people might assume you’re neglecting your family. These sweeping generalizations strip people of their individuality and place them in a box that they may not belong in.

Now, I’m not saying these assumptions are always wrong. Some stereotypes can reflect certain truths in specific cases, but they aren’t universal. People are diverse, and no one fits perfectly into these categories. The problem is when these assumptions are treated as absolute, limiting our ability to truly see one another for who we are.

When people fail to look beyond the surface, they understand only a fraction of the truth. And when you understand only a fraction, you fail to fully understand.

It’s frustrating because it feels like people aren’t even seeing each other anymore; they’re just seeing labels and drawing conclusions based on stereotypes.

Belonging isn’t inherently bad. In fact, it can be comforting. It gives people a sense of identity, a place where they feel they belong. But the problem starts when these identities become rigid and limiting. The problem is when these labels are used to judge, exclude, or stereotype. Assumptions start to dictate the way we view each other. For example, if you’re from Texas, people assume you’re a Republican, and if you’re a Republican, you must be racist. If you’re from a rural area, people assume you’re uneducated, and if you’re from a city, they might label you as elitist or disconnected from reality. These labels and assumptions become chains that people can’t break free from.

And yet, no matter how much we try to break free from these classifications, they persist. There are groups within groups within groups, and it never seems to end.

Maybe it’s because people use these labels to divide rather than connect. We forget that behind every label, there’s a human being with a unique story. Instead of building walls based on categories, we could use them to better understand each other. If only we could learn to embrace diversity without using it as a weapon to judge or stereotype.

I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to fully escape from labels and groups. They might always be part of the way we understand ourselves and the world. But maybe we can start looking beyond them, recognizing the complexity of each individual rather than reducing them to a single identity.

With love and open conversations,

Just Catrina