Written in response to a post elseforum suggesting that the appropriate definition for "slave" was simply a self identification - that anyone who claimed the word was one. ( Read more... )
There's an essential conflict between acknowledging the right of the individual to self-identify as whatever they choose/are(het, vegetarian)and the human propensity to label this OR that, and to label, period. I think a helluva lotta this comes down to politics. And the personal is politics. Round it goes. Labels can only start conversations, as we all know. Hence why you and I have hated labels. Yet discrimination/categorization is a basic human thing. Vital. And crazy making. I've never found a way to make identification of (and conversation about these categories of) humans one bit easier. If you do, let me know.
I have to admit, "autistic" and "aspie" have indeed actually done for me what I've always heard that labels were supposed to do for people. It gives me a sense of belonging, a place in the world, a way to talk about who I am, and a way to go about finding other people who are like me.
But I still think labels are largely more detrimental than useful. I'm not even sure they're any good for starting conversations.
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But I still think labels are largely more detrimental than useful. I'm not even sure they're any good for starting conversations.
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