As we opened our eyes in the morning what we see are labels. From the phone we tap to set off the alarm, the blanket we use to cover our cold frame at night, the soft bed and pillow, the pajama we take off, and the clothes we wear on, the slippers we put on, the coffee we sip, and the cup we hold, the bread we munch, the utensils we use, the TV we turn on while slouching on the sofa.
As we stepped out of our house, we can see the label "Welcome" on the doormat, the knob we grip, and the key we inserted have labeled as well. Even elevators have labels too, the roads, the streets, the houses, the buildings, the cars, and the people all over the place. There are rich, poor, lame, powerful, simple, pretty, weak, strong, special, popular, expensive, and inexpensive things, but despite different labels, many things and many people are still UNLABELLED.
As I traveled down memory lane, I remember babies in the hospitals are labeled too. Right after their birth, they will be fitted with bands on their wrists or ankles to be identified. Parents are tagged too, to avoid losing their babies.
The thing I never experienced in my life, because I never wear a band on my wrist nor my ankle when I was a baby. My mother gave birth to me at home with the help of what they labeled as kumadrona. An old woman who was also labeled as a traditional birth attendant doing the work of a midwife but with no labels of degree or diploma.
As I grow up and gain wisdom, my siblings labeled me as my mother and father's favorite, as I never received a painful strike from my father, and my mother always set aside more food for me. Why not? I was the most obedient child while others are naughty and we even have a black sheepin the family.
I entered school with a rectangular-shaped card on the upper left corner of my uniform made by my mother, with the label "RUBY JANE" on it. Different kids with different labels can be seen inside the labeled room, from section A to the last. That's how our teacher learned our names, but I actually hate wearing that tag especially during oral recitation. As much as possible I want to cover it with my hair so the teacher won't see and won't call my name. Unfortunately, I got short hair with bangs from Primary 1 to 6, tailored by my beautiful mother.
One day my mother told me to buy "Colgate na Close Up" and as a naive child, I just followed what she has said. In the store, I told the staff "pabili ( can I buy) po Colgate na Close Up" She was confused and so I was. "What toothpaste do you want? Colgate or Close Up?' She asked.
One funny thing in my country is people are just using the same labels for products of the same kind. They will call all toothpaste as Colgate, all milk as Bear Brand, all diapers as Pampers, all sanitary pads as Modess, etcetera. And as a kid, we adopted how to mislabel things.
Photo from UnsplashPhoto from Unsplash
But when we grow up, we have learned how to identify, sort, segregate and label different things. And as we gain more knowledge and learn new things, we also learned that the WORLD IS FULL OF DIFFERENT LABELS, from non-living to living things, even the intangible ones, the emotions, reactions, impressions, and perceptions are labeled. Some are labeled right, while some are labeled wrong.
When we learned how to mingle with others inside and outside school, we found our peers with different labels, either in a Clique or in a Crowd group.
Are you a Happy Camper? Satisfied and happy with things you have, small or big, good or bad. Are you a Lone Wolf who prefers to be alone in your own world? An anti-social I should say, and introverted just like me. But believe me or not, I have never been a lone wolf in school unless my friends were absent. I was even a Chatter-Box sometimes, especially if the topic was interesting. But most of the time, I was just a normal unlabeled student. Are you a Nerd or a bookworm? The bright spark of the school and is so much interested in all subjects, exploring, and learning new things out, and reading almost all labels of books in the library.
Photo from UnsplashPhoto from Unsplash
Or are you a Smart-Alec? The type of person I hated the most. As if they know everything. So boastful and irritating I should say. But there was a friend I won't forget, a mislabeled student in our school. People call her Cold, weird, aloof, more lonely than the lone wolf. People thought she's a cold one and doesn't care about everything around her. But when she spoke and stepped out of her zone, everyone was amazed, as she transformed into a Dark Horse, and the people's mislabel and their first impressions did not last.
We stepped out of school with different labels of degree and face the bigger, wider, and turbulent crowd. We stumbled upon more complicated labels that are tough to fathom. But since we were pre-oriented about the real world when we were still in school, we got a clearer picture and vision of how the world looks like, and how people in it work and label each other. But the expectations are truly different once you perceived and witnessed things in the actual world.
Photo from UnsplashPhoto from Unsplash
When we stepped foot in the world of careers, we have realized that people with higher labels are more respected than those with lower labels. The competition starts to flow as more people aim for a better and higher name. And living in this survival world pushes them to enter the competitive arena. Those who can reach the top can secure their future, those who will be left at the bottom will suffer more and surpass more walls labeled as obstacles.
As we face the crowd with different faces and different labels, we are sometimes mislabeled. People will label us based on our personalities and mostly based on their first impressions. I was once mislabeled and defined by their negative impression when I entered the field of new different faces. Due to my introverted personality, people thought I was a cold-hearted, sassy, and unfriendly lad. But as we get along, their first impression did not last and I was labeled based on their perception of my real personality.
As we age and understand the struggles of life, we become more competitive and practical. So even when buying our needs, we check the labels of the products. Some will check the quality, but some will check the tag. Many will prefer the affordable ones, while others are choosing the branded ones. But for the normal and the poor, they are contented with the cheap but comfortable ones.
We grow, we compete, we label, we get into relationships. From the label of single, to in a relationship, to complicated status, and open relationships. But have you ever had a relationship with no labels? That feeling that you better not label anything so when the fairy tale story ended, there will be no worries, no heartaches, no hate. That feeling that you better stay your friendship status as is, because we know that it will last longer than the other one. No expectations, no commitments, just friends, and no other labels. Because in this world, people always come and always go, and the thing labeled forever doesn't exist. But some successful ones in this area wished for their relationship labels to be permanent, even though there is no forever.
The world is full of labels and so people also label themselves. Those who have much are labeled as rich, and those who are less fortunate are labeled poor, and some don't even know how to label themselves. They are lost in the middle of the dark mislabeled path and struggling to trace back the footsteps of where they have begun, confused about which trail to follow and which tunnel to pass through.
Photo from UnsplashPhoto from Unsplash
And being in this society full of judgmental people, we will be mislabeled by them too. Those who followed the wrong path are labeled bad, and those following the right path are labeled good. People will label every action we take and every word we say. As if we are living in other people's minds. We are always careful with everything we take to thwart being mislabeled by other people.
But that is exhausting because we are just ordinary humans with no labels of superpowers and abilities to make things perfect just to gratify other people's expectations. So rather than getting mislabels, many chose to stay UNLABELED.
And I prefer to be unlabeled than be mislabeled. And if I could travel in a time machine, I will choose a place and time where no one knows about my identity. Where I can live a carefree and simple life without worrying about the world and the people around me. No worries, no commitments, no expectations, NO LABELS, JUST THE REAL ME.
So this is my entry for @JonicaBradley new prompt: Labels
This article was checked on Text.com plagiarism checker.
The result in another checker has 2% plagiarized content though. But I don't care. Because this content came from my own words and thoughts. Lol
It's up to the moderator if she will accept this or not. Peaceyow btw ✌
isa siguro ko sa mga unlabelled student since then. haha. PEro nakakarelate ako sa colgate na close up sis. kay tita ko lang nalaman na magkaiba pala yun. haha
sa mundong to madalas talaga na namimislabelled ang karamihan based sa pananamit at first impression at lalong lalo na sa estado sa buhay pag mayaman nasa unahan at priority pag mahirap di ka papansin
Haha natawa ako sa colgate na close up, mostly sa sari sari store ganyan, we have little store and I encountered that. They don't know that it's a brand lol
Yung toothpaste talaga😂 I'm relate ate. Sinasabi ko din yan dati nung bata ako pag bibili pero ngayon sinasabi ko nalang toothpaste na masaya kasi yon toothpaste dito lol
The best way to deal with the mislabeling especially the negative ones which aren't true to our identities is to say "wala akong paki" 🤣🤣🤣 oh d ba?
Go some place where no one knows you, your start or everything, and still people will 'label' you. Ganon ata talaga sis and I am guilty too of labeling others but mostly on my mind though 😂
That sometimes we live with the peoples labeling towards us..ung expectations nila sa paglebel sa atin, minsan un ung minmeet natin, haay bkit b ksi kelangang my label kya ayun nagiging general na ung colgate at pampers😁.. pro ung relationship sana tlga ang pinaka may label pra alam kung saan at pano lulugar😅
A very deep, controversial, and important topic to talk about, let me congratulate you, for having written it, shared, because people do not like to talk about this sad reality, unfortunately, labels as you rightly mention begin at home, Dad and Mom are often guilty of encouraging the use of labels for many things, especially when criticizing other people.
And if that were not enough, we go to school, where the teachers are dedicated to label the students, the one who knows the most, the lazy one, the one who has money, and the one who does not, and they do not understand or ignore the consequences of this, we are all human beings, free, unique, valuable, and to label ourselves is simply to put limits, to put chains tied to a big rock, we will never advance with labels, for the simple fact that we spend our lives trying to remove the labels that were put on us in the past, or someone else.
We have a rotten society, the more technological advances we have, the more mental backwardness we gain, I join you, I do not like labels, I hate that, call me by my name, if you want to admire me for what I know or do, ready, but do not antiquate me with something silly, that is illogical, a waste of time, greetings my dear friend, my respects to your way of being and thinking, greetings.
I miss wearing name tags. And the colgate na closeup, tas modess at diapers, relate much. But I prefer din to be unlabelled than mislabelled. Daming judger around, masakit magsalita ng kung ano ano. Kaya better remain real nalang e. No label, just you.
I had to read twice to understand what you are trying to pass across to us with the post.
I think human imperfection when it comes to judging others is one of the major reasons why people are been labeled wrongly. We all have experienced that at one point in life but it is one of the things that we must face in life. The label ain't really not worth thinking about as long as the real us is still there.
I draw the line to labels when I gave birth to my child with "ASD". Common misconception for us here Filipinos is when people have "disabilities" they're called "abnormal". Better to be un-labelled. :)) Nicely done article. Keep on!
😥 that is sad and yeah it's true.. At yun ang dadalhin ng bata gang sa paglakinm mislabel ng iba tatatak sa isip nla na magbibigay mental stress sa knla
Labels is to control ano madam? At ang hirap kalaban ng mislabelling parang kailangan mo laging patunayan ang sarili mo. Pero ako huh kasi foreigner ang asawa ko lagi akong makakarinig sa ibang tao lalo na yung di ko kilala at di kami kilala na "prostitute" ako. Tinatawanan ko lang pero ayw ko pa rin syempre na makakarinig ng ganon kasi di naman ako prosti. Di rin naman ako kagandahan para maging isa hahaha
Natawa ako sa colgate na close-up hahah! Pinoy na pinoy... may mga tao pa rin nagkakamali jan. Anyway, I don't want to be labeled either, ang hassle nmn pati ba nmn yan pagkakaabalahan..
Damn! It's really been a while.
Who wouldn't wanna be unlabeled Jane? I believe no one, in a world that people has wrongly labeled others because or due to their perception of them.
People like being so judgemental and this issue are what always leads to mislabeling of others.
If I could I will also love to choose a place where I am not known, just to live my life peacefully without labels.
Crystal clear lahat uyy 😍💗 grabe dama ko yung tanong na "have you ever had a relationship with no labels?". May mga mahal talaga sa buhay dapat kinakaibigan hindi kinaka-IBIGan. We are better off as friends talaga. Kasi nga , gaya ng sabi mo "we know that it will last longer than moving to the next level".
I would view it based from any relationship, sabi nga ni Sarah Lahbati sa commercial nya sa Nido, "Check the label mommy". Kung walang label sa relationship, anu pa silbi nyan
This world is full of labels and people actually do label themselves as you've,pointed out, it's really a serious issue that should be dealt with......you really did justice to this and touched all areas and the last words you can't really escape it though its just a matter of how we deal with it.
In my country there are also "midwives." If they don't label the babies in the hospital can you imagine the mess with them...lol.
Also here we label everything with the same names. Different brands but the same name.
Labels are a form of control even though I don't agree with being labeled either, it is a necessary evil.
Wow full of wisdom mo sis. Ang lalim Ng hugot. Oo nga Naman sa label na ginawa Ng society it's impossible to create your own and be yourself. Pero I think that's how things works. To have labels in order to avoid confusion and chaos, in general aspects.
I never got any label in school maybe because i was/am quite out spoken and friends with everyone. But i have an idea of what to write about after reading this article. I'll drop an article on label Tomorrow.
Even humans are labeled, we are divided into degrees. If I could go back 10 years with my current mindset, I would definitely choose a life style that produces its own needs in nature and that I can live without taking orders from anyone and without seeing too many people.
Your last statement where you said you prefer going to a place where people won't identify you and you live a carefree life. Do you know you can still be labeled where ever you go? No matter how long you stay in a place, people will observe you and at the end, either label you right or wrong.
We won't run away from labels. To me, I prefer being labelled right then mislabeling me.
Exactly. We should be positive with everyone even though they mislabel us. We don't have to give to them what they did to us, we should ignore whatever they say or do. This is life to us and we must always live in peace and happiness always.
Well, we cannot pleased everyone of how they want to labelled us. As a matter fact, I've been labelled as "slut" back in high school. It hurts me thou, but for all I know, I didn't do anything wrong for me to be called like that. Its insulting, you know.. Sigh! "Find.. You want it, be it.. But, I hoped you will be eaten by your own guilt, the moment you realized how insulting it is, especially if its you being labelled like that."
I've also experienced about "Colgate na Close up" and a lot more.. Nakakatawa at nakakahiya din..hahah😅
Anyways...
Namamangha pa rin ako sa 1k plus na subscribers mo Ms. Jane, kahit paulit-paulit ko siyang nakikita.. Wahhh..Out of topic yata..hihi..
Ay grabe yung slut.. Kung ako yun, baka hndi ako makatulog n ang ayaw ko pa naman ay yung iniinsulto ako tinatawag ng mali.. .
Pro dami tlga relate jan sa colgate 🤣
Label is helpful when searching the brand of product we want to buy but giving label to people based on what you are seeing to them is not that good especially if you don't really know them personally. Some impression dont last indeed.
Naalala ko yung sa nametag hehez saken din tinatago ko o binabaliktad ko para lang di makita at di ako tawagin ng teacher 😅
I read your full articles deeply, it was taking time but I never get bored while reading. It is nicely written, each line catches my attention. You are right everything surrounding us is labeled.
The last lines about to go back in time to live lonely, where no one knows us has touched me deeply.
I also prefer to live alone with my wishes, but if try to do, the people are talking about me to my family.
Totoo talaga e yung iba magbebase lang sa first impressions nila sa isang tao. Wayback 2012 when I first heard this they only know my name and not my whole story and never ko na nakalimutan then wala nako pake sa sinasabi ng iba kasi tayo naman talaga yung mas higit na nakakakilala sa sarili natin. Yung tipong name nalang ang alam nila mali pa spelling. Haha. Yung G sa name ko ginagawa pang J. Kaloka. And yeah, it is much better talaga na unlabeled kesa mislabeled. Though hindi natin maiiwasan sa judgemental na mundo.
🤣🤣 kay ex ko yan una narinig 🤣🤣
Maglelabel na nga lng wrong spelling pa haha.
D tlga maiiwasan mag judge ibang tao. Ganun kc ginagawa nla sa sarili nla.
Ako madam, ako ung studyante na madaldal pero mahiyain wahahaha lalo pag dating sa recitation wahahaha. At dahil I was labeled "Talkative Ruffa!" Huehue. Di na rin masama at least hindi "Malanding Ruffa!" 🤧🙉.
Saka same sakin, mas gusto ko nalang mapunta sa lugar na walang nakakakilala sakin. Yong hindi ako magpapanggap para lang pumasok sa mga pamantayan nilang baluktot naman.
"payatot" and "patpat" is also a common label satin no?
anyways..
i was a lone wolf, wallflower .. lols .. and was not also exempted from any other labels and mislabels along the way.
I am toying the idea in my head : a world without labels and if it is possible that we will live without labels.. wala lang toying lang.. parang imposible eh pero break natin misconceptions satin.
Yea we don't need to.. But there are some users here who are minding other people's business . so better flaunt to them that it's not plagiarized.. .others are doing that too
Label is a very good idea that asist while searching for a particular thing or object and it is used almost every where and almost in all our daily routine when it is properly used and he application is an individual decision.
Labels can be both ways good and bad good for finding things easy in a large crowd of other things ..bad because it can be used wrongly to bully people
People tend to put us labels of their liking. They may based it though their judgment or on how angry they are at you. I don't want to be labeled by them who know nothing about me. I don't want them to know the real me just to prove they are wrong. I just want to unlabeled too than being mislabeled. What matters most is that I know myself 100%
I waamt labelled because it's not really a common act in my country, and I was basically the only child that was born in the hospital that day. So it was completely unnecessary, it was a private clinic hence it wasn't needed.
Habang binabasa ko to naalala ko din un may name tag ako, tapos yun gupit ko is pang Dora the Explorer ang bangs😂, tapos yun Colgate na Close up, Hahahhaha.
The good thing about labels is malalaman mo pagkakaiba ng isang bagay sa isang bagay. Pero pagdting sa tao eh ibang bagay na lalo na king na mislabeled ka. Yun bang hinusgahan ka na lang..
pabili nga po ng colgate yung close up! haha ganyan ako nung kabataan ko haaays