From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Sat Mar 27 2004 - 13:38:14 GMT
Dan,
> That's what I am trying to get at. "Labeling" someone or something
> creates a notion, so to speak, in someone's mind of how that person/object
> is. Doesn't that create perceptions, thus aleady gearing us to think one
> way?
> Your thoughts.
Yes, and thank goodness labels do create perceptions. They are necessary
for survival. "Look out for that (label) car!" can be a life saver. You
wouldn't be too happy if someone yelled, "Look at for that (label)
butterfly" instead.
If someone doesn't believe in God I think the label 'atheist' is perfectly
legit. If someone is not sure one way or another, the label 'agnostic'
fits. 'Liberal' is descriptive of a person who thinks his government does
good things.'Conservative' describes someone who thinks government should
be restrained from doing good things because they usually end up badly.
(Ex: the welfare state.)
So I don't see labels as necessarily being negative. They are part of
those cultural glasses we're all fitted with, necessary to survive in the
society we happen to be born into.
Pirsig invented a label for his MOQ--'Dynamic Quality.' Without it, he
wouldn't have been able to get his ideas across.
My point is simply that labels aren't necessarily bad. Your thoughts?
Platt
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