RE: The pitfalls of labeling and how to stop
Labels are ways to have a short hand so we dont get muddled with complex discussions when we dont have time. Never having time to get beyond labels leaves us with a shallow experience of life. We also tend to use labels to inform us of what we should believe, for example I cant be in favour of low taxes and a nanny state; low taxes makes me a right wing thinker and nanny state makes me a left wing thinker. Left and right wing are themselves labels that introduce all kinds of other ideas about what we must think to be cogent. But I reject these labels and all the limitations they place on our thinking.
Labeling people we love is not a good idea, especially with children, revel in all their seemingly incongruent ideas, make them question every belief.
Exactly - labels can be useful and handy as a practical communication tool but more often than not they become limiting factors to our perception of self and the world (i.e. "others") and have a negative effect on our inner freedom, motivation, compassion towards fellow beings... They are often a result of limiting beliefs. Thus it is much more useful to at least attempt to be mindful every time one labels sth and even more so if it is not a "something" but a "someone"...