What markers do you define yourself by?

[gimmethesimplelife]

I'll give an idea of what I am getting at here......it's obvious to anyone who has read my posts that my zip code and my social class experiences in America define me to a large extent - what defines you? Just curious......hoping this leads to an interesting thread. Rob

[iris lilies]

I am middle middle middle.

My formative years were spent in the middle of the country, in the middle of the century, in a middle class household. Because I read widely I knew there was a wide world out there and I longed to get out of the incredibly boring small town/suburb where I lived, and always wanted to live in a city with some cultural differentiation.

Now that I have your attention, I want you to talk about somethng you brought up in an earlier thread some weeks ago. Because this interests me a lot, I want to hear your justification for your point of view about how yoir neighborhood was screwed over by not being designated an historic district, or some such thingyou referenced. Why is that a bad thing in your mind, and in the mind of your neighbors?

[Tradd]

I currently go by “Great Lakes shipwreck obsessed diver chick.” :D

[Teacher Terry]

I am pretty much the same as IL. Going to college at 31 and having a career in human services defined my life as well as being a mother. Now that I teach a college course it is also part of my identity and is something that I always wanted to do.

[Gardenarian]

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by markers. Is that what class or sub-class I belong to? Or is the things I have experienced and care about that make me who I am? My demographic?

[LDAHL]

I am defined by the impact of the choices I make in the circumstances I find myself upon my character. It’s a one-off, sui generis sort of thing.

I don’t understand the contemporary obsession with applying labels to oneself and others.

[razz]

I am defined by the impact of the choices I make in the circumstances I find myself upon my character. It’s a one-off, sui generis sort of thing.

I don’t understand the contemporary obsession with applying labels to oneself and others.
+1

[JaneV2.0]

People have always sorted, categorized, and labeled others. Think Hester Prynne. It's nothing new.

[LDAHL]

People have always sorted, categorized, and labeled others. Think Hester Prynne. It's nothing new.

Sure, but Ms. Prynne didn’t pin the letter on herself as Rob is inviting us to.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I mostly think defining oneself can be a trap, so yes one is this or that at a period of time, but may not be earlier or latter (as far as personality traits or circumstances).

I'm not arguing some extreme converse (new age type of position) that we can define ourselves as whatever we want and it will become manifest as if we had absolutely no innate tendencies and there was no external reality. Uh no, just ... over identification with labels can sometimes be a trap.

I have certain values, I'm generally nice, and good too really (not that that is the type of thing to brag about). Yes I'm fairly smart and able to learn etc.. Beyond that I don't know what I want to identify with. Sure at times I am brave, but at other times I'm not. Etc..

[Ultralight]

I don’t understand the contemporary obsession with applying labels to oneself and others.

Labels can be pretty handy.

[Ultralight]

What are my identity politics? Is that really what you are asking, Rob?

[ApatheticNoMore]

Labels of the demographic sort may be fine for social analysis but make less sense applied to oneself. For one thing they are often fluid. One could move zip code! Even income has some degree of fluidity, I don't need to argue it's particularly strong, and it's often downward but .... nonetheless. Other things, ok one doesn't usually change race :laff:, so those are on the non-fluid side. Things like personality traits change some, especially situationally, but also often have some stability over the lifetime as well. Values can certainly change.

[Ultralight]

I'll give an idea of what I am getting at here......it's obvious to anyone who has read my posts that my zip code and my social class experiences in America define me to a large extent - what defines you? Just curious......hoping this leads to an interesting thread. Rob

I tend to identify myself by what I do rather than where I live or immutable characteristics such as skin color or sex.

For instance I am a:
-minimalist
-amateur artist (arguably, haha)
-rescue dog enthusiast
-loan drone
-avid reader

Those are some examples.

[catherine]

I also am in the camp of trying to dissolve labels, or markers. Interesting topic because on the plane today I was reading (for the 2nd time) a great book by Richard Rohr, S.J. called Falling Upward, and in it he talks about the second half of life. He says "In the second half of life you gradually step out of this hall of revolving and self-reflecting mirrors."

I started a blog in 2009, and I stopped writing in it after a couple of years. But I struggled with the "About Me" thing you're always supposed to put in blogs. I didn't want to say "I am an XXXX a XXXX". So I took UL's approach by talking about what I do/have done. But that doesn't really define me either. Whatever I say is going to be like that old TV game show, Concentration, where you would match up a pair of tiles that would reveal parts of a picture underneath but unless you turn over all the tiles, it's hard to get the picture.

[Ultralight]

I really wonder why people recoil from labels when it comes to their persons but they love labels when it comes to their food and beverage.

[catherine]

I really wonder why people recoil from labels when it comes to their persons but they love labels when it comes to their food and beverage.

Because people aren't food or beverages.

And not all people recoil from labels. Many people do find meaning in "branding" themselves. Maybe you have the wrong audience in a bunch of simple livers who don't feel human beings can be reduced to a set of attributes.

[Ultralight]

Because people aren't food or beverages.

And not all people recoil from labels. Many people do find meaning in "branding" themselves. Maybe you have the wrong audience in a bunch of simple livers who don't feel human beings can be reduced to a set of attributes.

Why is it reducing to a set of attributes? Why isn't it summing up to a set of attributes?

Why learn to play the banjo only to deny that you're a banjo player?
Why learn to catch sockeye salmon and then deny that you're an angler?


This reminds me of those silly-ass couples in college who would say things like: "We're not really into labels?"

But they did everything that other romantic couples did. haha

[Ultralight]

...a bunch of simple livers ...

Gotcha.

[catherine]

Why is it reducing to a set of attributes? Why isn't it summing up to a set of attributes?

Why learn to play the banjo only to deny that you're a banjo player?
Why learn to catch sockeye salmon and then deny that you're an angler?


This reminds me of those silly-ass couples in college who would say things like: "We're not really into labels?"

But they did everything that other romantic couples did. haha

OK. I hear ya. But I'm still not ready to answer the question. So, for starters, here's my About Me. https://silententry.wordpress.com/about-me/

[Zoe Girl]

I still see myself as a punk rock kid, sigh. And I have a cute short haircut and white hair. Well my shoes are still cool!

Female, white haired, mom and grandma, meditator, Buddhist, crochet artist and teacher, vegetarian (90%), um generally really nice person.

[boss mare]

My horses are my identity. And up until recently, a particular breed was my marker.

[herbgeek]

I really wonder why people recoil from labels when it comes to their persons but they love labels when it comes to their food and beverage.

To me, a label implies some behavior is within a predictable box. I don't want to limit myself that way. My views are often more nuanced that a label would imply. There's also the us vs them aspects of labels. For example: on some things I hold Libertarian views, but I also think single payer health care would be a good thing. If I called myself a Libertarian, I would be inconsistent with what people expect of a Libertarian. I don't want to get into endless arguments, I just want to act as I see fit in a particular set of circumstances. A label is limiting.

If you had asked, what do you think are your best qualities or what things do you feel passionate about, that would have a whole different feel to it than what labels do you put on yourself.

And for what its worth, I'm not that fond of labels on my food or beverage either. I go for functionality first.

[Ultralight]

Okay, watch this. I am about to change your mind about labels.


To me, a label implies some behavior is within a predictable box. I don't want to limit myself that way.

Your screen name is herbgeek. You have literally labeled yourself a geek for herbs.


My views are often more nuanced that a label would imply.

Tell me your views. I bet you I can find or create labels for you.



A label is limiting.

You have labeled labels as limiting. You literally created a meta-label.



And for what its worth, I'm not that fond of labels on my food or beverage either. I go for functionality first.

Which foods or beverages would you label functional?

1. Boom!
2. I rest my case.
3. Gotcha.

[happystuff]

I really wonder why people recoil from labels when it comes to their persons but they love labels when it comes to their food and beverage.

I think it is because food and beverages are static while most people are not. Personally, I feel I am always changing which makes it hard to apply a label. And, even if a label is applied, it only applies to one small part of who I am.

catherine, nice "About Me". I enjoyed Breakfast with Buddha as well.

[Gardnr]

Rocky Mountain Girl livin' and workin' and playin' in the city:~)

[iris lilies]

Labels are just a shorthand for communication.

Sometime they serve some purpose for some people, especially when identifying small aspects of ourselves.

I am bulldog lover, grower of iris and lilies, old house hugger. These are aspects of me and convey my interests in life. They do not completely characterize me.

[catherine]

Labels are just a shorthand for communication.

Sometime they serve some purpose for some people, especially when identifying small aspects of ourselves.

I am bulldog lover, grower of iris and lilies, old house higger. These are aspects of me and convey they life i terests. They do not completely characterize me.

Taking IL's cue, then, I am a mother of 4, big interest in permaculture, the environment, and simple spirituality as defined by writers such as Thich Naht Hanh, Richard Foster, Thoreau, Joanna Macy, Anthony deMello and Richard Rohr. I'm a go-with-the-flow kind of person but disorganized and I tend to apologize too much.

[jp1]

Sure, but Ms. Prynne didn’t pin the letter on herself as Rob is inviting us to.

Yeah, but the dude that knocked her up pinned a letter on himself.

[Float On]

I had a conversation with a group of people the other day and someone pointed out that even though I didn't currently have horses people could really tell that that is what defined me even more than our years having a hot glass studio.
Until I get back into horses (if ever) I pass time with moving rocks or floating kayaks. Though I find great enjoyment in the things I do I do feel very unsettled in the life I've had...something's missing that was "me". Mainly something with 4 hooves and mouth that'll eat a person out of house and home.

[Teacher Terry]

Horses are expensive. Here in horse country I have a good friend that realized that they couldn’t afford them anymore as they got older. They didn’t replace when they died and they live a long time. They also used to do mastiff rescue but big dogs expensive and they don’t live very long so quit when the last one died. Now they have 2 cats. They want to retire some day. For us it was realizing how much money we were spending on our 5 rescue dogs and vets here are super expensive. We have 3 now. I think sometimes our goals change out of necessity.

[bae]

I'm just, well, me.

Markers/labels depend so much on context and audience.

[Gardenarian]

I am a human being continually reinventing myself.

[Tybee]

I guess I don't understand your question; it seems like you are asking us to define ourselves by an external system of judgment, which is not something I am interested in doing.

[Tammy]

I’ve changed so much over the years. Eventually I decided I’m human, and that’s specific enough.