How People Get Labelled or Branded
We All Label People—More Than We Realize
Labelling people has become second nature in our daily lives. Without even noticing, we assign taglines to ourselves and others, using them as shortcuts to define behavior. It helps us make sense of situations, but it can also lead to misunderstanding and unfair judgment.
You might not realize how often you label things in a typical day. Beyond organizing objects or dates, you also label people. When someone cuts you off in traffic, you might call them a terrible driver. If you’re late for a meeting, you may brand yourself careless. These are all examples of labelling people quickly, without understanding their full story.
Judgments Without Knowing the Context
Imagine someone at your workplace who is always late. Instantly, that person gets branded as “the one who’s always late.” Instead of asking why they’re late, we turn them into a running joke or a cautionary tale. It becomes part of their identity in the workplace.
But this kind of labelling doesn’t tell the whole story. Maybe they’re dealing with challenges at home, or maybe their commute is unpredictable. Yet, we rarely pause to understand.
When Labels Are Positive
On the other hand, someone who shows up early every day gets labelled as punctual, professional, or reliable. That person becomes the standard others are measured against. While this may seem like a good thing, it still puts pressure on individuals to maintain an image, sometimes at the cost of their well-being.
Positive labels can also trap people, just in a different way.
The Real Impact of Labelling People
The effects of labelling people vary. Some take negative labels to heart, losing confidence over time. Others see them as a challenge and work harder to prove them wrong. It all comes down to how individuals respond—and how willing we are to look deeper.
Before assigning labels, it’s worth remembering that every behavior has a backstory. Labelling people may seem harmless, but it shapes how we treat others and ourselves. Understanding both sides of a story brings us closer to empathy—and further from judgment.
