Labels.

[Psuedom]

As someone who essentially rejects the overly binary nature and constraints of labels and pigeonholing to solidly define an individual, I find it quite ironic that I use them all the time and find them quite useful in both a personal and professional capacity:

* Which archetypes do you identify with? 

* Are you a visual, audio or kinesthetic learner? 

* What is your Myers-Briggs personality type? 

Also being dyslexic and somebody who relies heavily on tone of voice and body language for effective communication, I am constantly out of my depth while simultaneously walking on eggshells on platforms such as this... Misplace a word, not quite get the point across properly, forget a small detail and then... BAM... You're unzipping and climbing into your own bodybag, whilst watching your hope, inquisitiveness and sense of humour all being summarily executed in front of you as you zip the bag up over your head and get ready for the inevitable and gruelling finger-wagging to death which will only be exacerbated by aggrevating the angry mob through the use unnecessarily long descriptive sentences lacking in punctuation.

The written word by its very nature can have so many limitations; the labels and other terms we use attributed to identity, personality, behaviours, preferences, tastes, etc are not there to fully define us, they are not absolute, they are just a guides to help people understand us, allow them to ask more targeted questions within a conversation and explore the unique grey of an individual between the black and white limitations of definitions... This is if a person can be bothered and is also willing to listen to the responses.

Labels are simply a communication tool; seeing as "communication" is the first of the 4 pillars, why is it that time and time again these tools are so poorly utilised and even weaponised for the use of isolation, segregation and polarisation? Isn't this victimisation? Being victimised is one of the leading causes of extreme life views, extreme reactions and intolerance (anybody else see the irony here?). This surely is just creating a vicious circle and I will further add, I really wouldn't expect any rational individual who has felt victimised to immediately go back and voluntarily ask for a second serving. If there is anybody who reads this who likes the type of victimisation I am talking about, feel free to PM me so we chat and I can get a better understanding of something I may have an overly myopic view on, I won't judge but it could be one of those "it's your thing but not mine and that's OK" results... Either way, it's starts by having a conversation. 

"... conversational competence might be the single-most overlooked skill we fail to teach students." - Paul Barnwell, The Atlantic.

So I will simply ask the following:
Whatever happened to everyday being a school day?

I am vanilla.
I am kinky as ****.
I am smart.
I am clearly stupid.

I am awaiting a glorious finger-wagging demise.

 

@CopperKnob Thank you for inspiring me to find my voice again. https://www.fetish.com/topic/26480-whats-in-a-name/?tab=comments#comment-117227

[ey****]

I would like to hope that, in most cases, misplacing a word or not quite getting a point across - can be easily resolved.  Most of us have probably done it

But yeah. 

Labels are a funny one - but they are often quite important.  In general terms.

If you walked into a club and spoke to someone and they were like "are you sub or Dom?" there's a lot of really acceptable answers but while some overly analysed "I'm a 2nd generation Sadistic Dominant and blah blah" is unnecessary and annoying, but "I'm unsure, there's different aspects I  like and I'm finding my feet" is acceptable and "Don't label me!" also sounds like a prick.

And, yep, they do get weaponised the whole "you're just a Top" or whatever as if that is somehow lesser - when it aint.  

[Leisa]

You made perfect sense so no castrations coming 😌. I hope that many labels are applicable to each individual and that no two are alike. I label myself so others have a foothold and then remind that I’m much more than the label ascribed.

[Deviant_Ric]

So eloquently written, and so much of what you’ve written resonates so deeply with me. I applaud you.

[Psuedom]

2 hours ago, eyemblacksheep said:

I would like to hope that, in most cases, misplacing a word or not quite getting a point across - can be easily resolved.  Most of us have probably done it

But yeah. 

Labels are a funny one - but they are often quite important.  In general terms.

If you walked into a club and spoke to someone and they were like "are you sub or Dom?" there's a lot of really acceptable answers but while some overly analysed "I'm a 2nd generation Sadistic Dominant and blah blah" is unnecessary and annoying, but "I'm unsure, there's different aspects I  like and I'm finding my feet" is acceptable and "Don't label me!" also sounds like a prick.

And, yep, they do get weaponised the whole "you're just a Top" or whatever as if that is somehow lesser - when it aint.  

I would like to think so too... but I did forget to mention typos which are incredibly impotent when considering pubic relations.  Great examples, I've heard at least 2 of those before and felt very much the same.

1 hour ago, Leisa said:

You made perfect sense so no castrations coming 😌. I hope that many labels are applicable to each individual and that no two are alike. I label myself so others have a foothold and then remind that I’m much more than the label ascribed.

Thank you, yet a part of me was quite looking forward to breaking out the spanking bat.... I mean paddle.... and wielding it with fiendish precision to defend myself

14 minutes ago, Nastycuntspanker said:

So eloquently written, and so much of what you’ve written resonates so deeply with me. I applaud you.

Much appreciated, thank you taking the time to read it.