"What Labels Me, Negates Me"
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
8 August
2023
While
reading the Danish theologian and early existentialist philosopher Soren
Kierkegaard, I chanced upon a nugget of a thought, "Once you label me, you
negate me " (another slightly different version is, "What labels me,
negates me").
French
existentialist Albert Camus called this pithy saying, "The existential
essence of all times." It's what we see everywhere at the moment. We're on
a labelling spree. We're labelling others and ourselves. This foolish labelling
negates and decimates all.
Hindus
(already a label) are now 'degenerated' and 'devolved' into Sanatanis. They'll
further degenerate after a few years, decades or centuries.
Muslims are
labelled into innumerable sects. They've already 73 sects. A label denies an
individual's persona and his/her existential freedom. In other words, it
negates and crushes a person's whole existence.
Sociologists
believe that humans suffer from Nomenclature Syndrome. They need to be categorised
into groups and sub-groups. Since humans are still evolving, their idea of
individual uniqueness is still in its infancy. We value ourselves and also
others with respect to the groups we and others are part of. That's why lakhs
of labels embellish our existence on earth.
Jean-Paul
Sartre defined this phenomenon of labelling in his rather abstruse book, 'Being
and Nothingness,' "An individual's being is a nonentity. It's his
'nothingness' that's important to him and to the world." Yes, it's the
'nothingness' or 'negation' of an individual that we all want and cherish.
Because that makes us all equal in mediocrity and lowliness.
Dil
Bahal Toh Jayega Iss Khayal Se / Haal Mil Gaya Tumhara Apne Haal Se ! So, whoever amongst us tries to
assert his individuality, is snubbed or eliminated.
The best
way to negate people's individuality is to drag them into a bigger fold and
dilute their persona. Society is always afraid of a handful of individuals and
their definite and sharper sense of individuality. They're perceived as threats
to bigger groups. So, they're soon labelled and pigeonholed into a ghetto.
Religion,
nation, sects or castes are such 'comforting' labels for the riff raff and hoi
polloi. The Great Unwashed will always try to label those who are potential
threats to a humongous crowd of mediocre humans. An individual's existence is
negated by dragging him into the crowd and labelling him instantaneously.
People are
also blissfully happy to be labelled as Hindus, Shia, Sunni, Qadiani,
Pentecostal, Scottish, Iranian, German, Marathi, Punjabi, Saraswat Brahmin,
Chitpawan Brahmin, Mehtar, Kshatriya and what not.
None dares
to call himself just a human without a luggage and baggage of multiple
identities. This is the price of universal mediocrity an 'evolved' human has to
pay to survive. Isn't it pitiable and asphyxiating?
----
A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul
is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He
has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several
languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/labels-negates/d/130408
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