Are We Humans, Or Are We Labels?

Why do we Humans have to have labels as identifiers? Mother, Father, Son,, Husband, Religion, Nationality, Belief System, Designation, Education… and many, many more. These labels are what makes us tick, these labels are what define us; we, all the time, are trained by society to think in terms of labels only. Throughout life, you are either a person of some belief system, someone’s father son daughter husband wife brother employee boss… and more; all the time, every time- society identifies you by an identifier that is external to you; a label… and we, in our ignorance, accept the label as our reality.

In time, we not only accept these labels as our reality – we modulate our actions, thoughts and responses as per the label we accept at that point in time. To us, these labels become our reality, our entire existence; this leads us to having a firm belief in, a firm status in, and a rock-solid acceptance plus idenfitication plus unity with these external labels. So complete is our union with these irrelevant and ultimately unimportant labels, that we end up becoming these labels; we quite literally cease to be, and become the labels themselves.

When in the role of a father, you are the label; when an employee – again, label; when citizen – again  you become the label, when religion – you so totally identify with the label that you tend to forget the context and content of what the same label actually teaches you – which is to rise above the label and become you. The problem with labels is that they tend to induce pride, ego and arrogance in the external visibilities of these labels. So concerned are you with the appearance of these labels to the external world that you forget to appreciate or understand the real context of these realities.

Far from being concerned with how are are appearing to others, one must forget the others in the picture… and this is everyone. When a father – forget your son. When an employee – forget your boss. When a Religion – forget its name. All of these – the son, boss etc – are completely irrelevant to the picture. It matters little what your son thinks of you. When following a belief system, focus only on God, whatever name you call  Him by; and forget the rest of existence.  The only thing that is important – are you performing the role you are in? You have been entrusted with a role – a  father, an employee, a follower of a belief system. Do you understand that role in its entirety, and its true context?

By this – I do not mean the context as understood by judgemental others.  I mean the true contextual reality of the role; what is your role, your responsibility? That is the only thing that is relevant. Be a good follower, a good father, a good employee, a good brother in reality – not for appearance sake. Do not identify with the label – connect with the real responsibility and duty the label implies; be the content of the label, not its name. Rise above the name, go deeper than the name, and embody the context of the ingrained implication of that label. Be not the label – but the personification of the role it implies.

Unless you rise above labels, unless you connect with the reality, there is no scope for true growth at places where it matters in the long run. If you go only by labels – labels is all you will ever get. And that is where humanity goes terrible wrong… it is born in labels,  lives in and with labels, and ultimately dies in labels, never – even for a moment, thinking of what life can be like if lived without labels. Labels limit humanity, its potential, its productivity, always and everytime… will we ever learn? And, if in belief systems – strict adherence to the externalities of the labels causes more trouble than gain… for it prevents one from realizing the true essence of the belief system, whatever may it be called…

We get so involved in the labels, that our mind just cannot engage with our intellect; and we get entangled in the labels. We get involved in the external aspects, and instead just cannot go to the essence of humanity, of our belief systems. We get involved with the name, the label – and forget that these systems are present for the purpose of uniting us with God. Identification of these labels also drives  our passion, our pride, and our ego… but how can we unite with God, if we identify ourselves with the label, one which is man-made? That is why we must rise above these artificial labels…. We humans are not labels, not identifiers; we are much more, much deeper… high time we realized it!